Wicked
by NianGray
Summary: Sawyer Thropp is a young warlock, and extremely powerful. She is part of the Wizard's order, a group of downworlders allied with the Clave, led by the Wizard. When Sawyer turns against him, people start calling her the Wicked Witch of the West. Two years later, Alec Lightwood is tasked with finding her and killing her, and of course, Jace, Clary, Magnus, Izzy and Simon will help.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Few things to say. One, yes this fanfiction is based on the musical Wicked, mixed with the Mortal Instruments. I didn't tag it as Wicked fanfiction, because the characters aren't the Original characters from Wicked, I changed some of them, and changed their names. Second, English isn't my native language. If mistakes bother you, tell me about it, I can learn from it. Third, I'm new to this site and I find it quite complicate. Fourth, I have written a part already, and I'll post everything I have already, and after that you'll have to wait for updates sometimes. If anyone reads this, anyway.

**Prologue****  
**Evangeline Thropp had always been able to see the shadow world. Some mundanes were just born that way, and there was nothing Evangeline could do to stop seeing them. She saw the fair folk, when she walked trough parks. She saw werewolves, where other people saw street dogs. She saw vampires after the sunset. Warlocks, whose strange marks other people didn't see. Sometimes even shadowhunters, the protectors of this world. They fought demons, they were stronger and swifter than people. Part angel. Demons were the worst things she could see, terrible beings, with no capability of good. Then she was raped by a demon. Evangeline was sure it had been a demon, a very powerful one. And she had gotten pregnant, and when the child was born, she just knew the baby was a warlock. The girl had a green skin. Evangeline knew it was a warlock mark. A year later, she was raped again. Evangeline was getting closer to insanity, and she knew it. It was very hard, being able to see the shadow world. Demons felt attracted to mundanes who could see them. Who could acknowledge their excistence. Again, she had a warlock baby. This girl wasn't green like Sawyer, but there was something wrong with her legs. It turned out, Rosaline, her second daughter, would never be able to walk. Evangeline spoiled her a bit, and so did Sawyer. They both felt sorry for the girl in the wheelchair, who had only weak powers, and who would live forever without being able to walk. When Sawyer turned twelve, Evangeline lost it. She couldn't stand the shadow world anymore, and she went insane. She was taken into a hospital for mental diseases, and Sawyer and Rosaline were adopted by a downworlder society. Sawyer had told her she was a very powerful warlock, she was going to help her mother. She had told her the Wizard, who was the head of the organisation, needed her, because she was special. And special she was.


	2. Chapter 2

Sawyer heard there was going to be a new girl in their class, a young faerie. She didn't really care, nobody really liked her. People laughed at her for her green skin, and they were also afraid of her because of her powers. Powers she didn't really understand herself. Miss Darcy was teaching her, she taught every young warlock, but her powers were so strong they were hard to control. Sometimes, she accidentily took all light away. Or she broke things. Luckily, she could repair them as well. Rosaline took classes from miss Darcy as well, but she wasn't talented the way Sawyer was. Miss Darcy was an unpleasant woman, but Sawyer knew she was her favourite. Others resented her for it. The new girl walked into the classroom.  
'Welcome, miss Love,' professor Brown said. Professor Brown was a warlock with not much power, who had the horns and the legs of a goat. He was a very intelligent man, and Sawyer liked him best of all teachers. He knew a lot about downworlder and shadowhunter history. The organisation, called the Wizard's order, adopted a lot of downworlder children, and they had to be taught properly. Professor Brown taught them history. The girl, Sawyer noticed, was beautiful. Which was not odd, for she was one of the fair folk. She had blond curly hair, and she was very short, unlike Sawyer, who was very tall. The girl wore a pink dress, and a lot of make up.  
'Thank you, professor Brown,' she said, 'Are you teaching us history? Why dwell on events that happened in the past?'  
Sawyer immediately didn't like her. How could she insult professor Brown like that? Sawyer concluded she was indeed as stupid as she looked. Everyone else seemed to like her, though.  
'I assume you've been told you will be sharing your room with miss Sawyer Thropp?' professor Brown asked, as if he hadn't heard her insult.  
'What?!' Sawyer said out loud, and when the faerie girl saw me, she screamed the same thing. Both of them were shocked, obviously. How could she share a room with someone like thát? She shared her room with Rosaline already.  
'Professor, there must be some kind of mistake,' Sawyer said, 'My sister needs me, I share my room with her.'  
'Your sister, miss Thropp,' professor Brown said, 'Will share her room with a werewolf girl her age, she gave her permission. Please don't worry too much. Now, we will be discussing Valentine Morgenstern, a shadowhunter who defied the clave, and was sworn to wipe out all of our kind, downworlders. Luckily, he was defeated, and he burned his own house down, with himself in it. Not only will this be a history lesson, we will also talk about good and evil.'  
Sawyer liked discussions about good and evil, it was never quite clear who was good and who was evil. Most people had a bit of both.

'Miss Sawyer,' miss Darcy said, 'May I have a word with you, please?'  
'Of course, miss,' Sawyer said. She knew it was not wise to be inpolite to miss Darcy. Though Sawyer didn't know why, miss Darcy was strict when it came to manners.  
Sawyer waited, while the other young warlocks left. Another girl came in. Christabel, Sawyer recognized. What was she doing here? She was a Faerie, and miss Darcy didn't train their kind of magic.  
'What is it, miss Christabel?' she asked in a cold tone.  
'I'd like to take magical courses, miss Darcy,' Christabel said, 'You see, usually other faeries would teach me, but I was banned from the court. Faerie magic may be different from warlock magic, but you could teach me, couldn't you?'  
Miss Darcy looked upon Christabel with cold eyes. Though Sawyer disliked miss Darcy for het coldness, she thought Christabel deserverd it.  
'No,' she said firmly, 'I will not teach you. Faerie magic is hard to teach, and I don't sense that much power in you. No, I don't think you would be valuable enough. Try something on your own, but I don't think you'll ever get past making those pink dresses of yours glitter a little more than usual.'  
Christabel looked at miss Darcy in shock, and then she bit her lip. Was she trying not to cry? What did it matter anyway. Sawyer didn't like Christabel, and certainly didn't feel sorry for her. Why would she? It wasn't like Christabel had ever been nice to her. Christabel walked away, without saying a word.  
'What did you want to talk to me about, miss Darcy?' Sawyer asked, when Christabel wasn't anywhere near anymore.  
'I received a message from the Wizard. It is indeed you he needs. You have great power, and you will be able to help him properly, with leading our order, and protecting downworlders. You must work hard, though, but I trust that you will.'  
'Of course I will, miss,' she said happily, 'I feel so honoured.'  
'You deserved it, miss Sawyer,' she said, 'You'll get extra classes in magic from me, private classes, so you'll be strong enough soon. I trust your history lessons are going well? And so are your classes in latin, old greek and demon languages?'  
'Yes, miss,' Sawyer said. Sawyer was a clever person, and she learned fast. She was one of the best at reading the old languages. All the powerful magical spellbooks were written in those languages, and it was impossible to be a good warlock without being able to read those. She walked away, happier than ever, and started to sing the song "The Wizard and I" from the musical Wicked softly. She would be that girl, and she wasn't going to be exactly like Elphaba, was she? No, the wizard couldn't possibly be a bad man, he had helped her, and he would make her powerful, and loved.

There was going to be a party, and oddly, Christabel had asked her to come as well. The party was host by a warlock who was not part of the organisation, but who was very well respected and powerful. And he was also known for his parties. Magnus Bane was his name. There would be other downworlders, and it would be in New York. Rosaline had been asked by Jamie to go with him. Jamie was a mundane boy, whose sister was a warlock. He wanted to become a vampire to be immortal, which would happen when he was eighteen. Rosaline obviously had a crush on him, but Sawyer had her doubts about him. Rosaline wouldn't listen though. She was happy with Jamie, and Sawyer let her.  
'Sawyer?' It was Christabel. They were roommates, but they mostly ignored each other.  
'What is it?' she asked.  
'I wanted to give you something,' Christabel said, 'A hat, you could wear it to the party.'  
The hat Christabel gave her was a pointy hat, the kind witches sometimes wore in movies. It looked nice, she thought. Suddenly Sawyer felt sorry. She felt sorry for being so cold to Christabel, mean even.  
'Thank you, Christabel,' Sawyer said, 'It looks really nice. I'll see you at the party, tonight, but I have to do something before we go.'  
'That's all right,' Christabel said, and she smiled. Sawyer smiled back. Maybe they could be friends after all. Maybe she had been to soon to judge. Sawyer went to miss Darcy. She felt sorry for Christabel for what miss Darcy had done.  
'Miss Sawyer, shouldn't you be dressing up for the party? You are going, right? One of the most powerful warlocks in our world will be our host after all,' miss Darcy said.  
'Yes, miss Darcy, I will,' she said, 'Be going, that is. But I would like to ask you a favour. I would like you to accept Christabel as one of your students in the magic classes, maybe even the special classes. I do believe she has talent, she is a better person than she may look on the outside.'  
Miss Darcy looked doubtful, but then nodded. 'I will do as you request, miss Sawyer, and I will hope you are right about miss Christabel. You are after all more powerful than me, and if you sense power in her I don't, I believe you.'  
'Thank you so much, miss Darcy,' Sawyer said happily. She had done something for Christabel in return, and she was sure that would help. Christabel would help her, and Sawyer would finally have a friend.

The warlock Magnus Bane didn't look like Sawyer had expected. Like she had a green skin, the warlock had catlike eyes. He wore make up and glitter. What kind of man wore make up? He looked part Asian, and he wore the most ridiculous clothes she had ever seen on a man. People were laughing. At her, she noticed. What was wrong? Was it the green skin thing again? But there were other warlocks, and they all had odd markings.  
'Look at the hat she is wearing,' a faerie girl said.  
'It looks terrible,' someone else said.  
This confused Sawyer. Christabel had given her the hat. Surely, she knew about fashion?  
'Leave my guest alone, please,' Magnus Bane said, 'I know what I was like when I was young, and couldn't always control my magic, and I really don't want anyone turned to ashes this night. Lot of explaining to the Clave, you know. Besides, this is a party. She should have fun as much as you do.'  
Sawyer decided she rather liked Magnus Bane. No one had ever stepped up for her like that. She had herself, for Rosaline, for Christabel. But no one for her. Sawyer looked around. She saw Rosaline dancing with Jamie, in her wheelchair. She was obviously having fun. That was a good thing at least. She noticed a young man at the bar, probably her age. He was rather handsome. She recognized the markings on him. Shadowhunter. Were shadowhunters invited? Sawyer had been told Magnus Bane didn't really like them. Sawyer went up to him.  
'So you're the green skinned girl,' he said, 'I've heard about you, from Magnus. He was excited to meet you.'  
'Please call me Sawyer,' she said, curious about him, 'How have you been invited?'  
'My best friend's a vampire. Don't tell my parents, though, they are quite conservative. Don't like downworlders. Neither do our leaders, the Lightwoods. Though their daughter is well known by downworlders for she has dated a few of them.'  
'And her parents don't know?' Sawyer asked. She wasn't really that interested in this Lightwood girl, but she liked this guy alright, and wanted to keep the conversation going.  
'I guess they do. Not that it matters that much. I'm Collin, Collin Greenwood. My parents are part of the New York conclave.'  
Sawyer didn't know much about shadowhunters. They killed demons, they made the laws and downworlders had to follow those laws. They were part angel, created by the angel Raziel.  
'Are you going to tell me how many demons you have killed already?' she asked him, 'Because I don't know if I want to hear those kind of tales.'  
He laughed. It was a nice laugh, not in the mean way Sawyer was used to. He was actually nice to her, which felt odd.  
'Not if you're not interested. But I'd like to hear about you. I don't meet young powerful and beautiful warlock girls everyday, you know.'  
Did he just call her beautiful? She was sure she was blushing, as much as she could blush with her green skin.  
'I am a warlock, like my sister Rosaline, but she has a different father, and she isn't as powerful as I am. In the organisation, miss Darcy teaches us warlocks to use our magic, and she will teach Christabel to. She's a faerie.'  
'What about a dance, miss Sawyer?' he asked her.  
No. 'Alright,' she said. Sawyer couldn't dance. She would make a complete fool of herself. 'Just try to follow me,' Collin said.  
Sawyer tried to, but she guessed she wasn't that succesful. She did look ridiculous, she realised. People were staring, and Collin had stopped dancing. Then Christabel started dancing, together with her. Sawyer didn't know why. Christabel danced as odd as she did, even though, being a faerie, she was a great and graceful dancer.  
'Alright, everyone, party's over,' Magnus Bane shouted, 'Get out!'


	3. Chapter 3

'I'm sorry about their behaviour before, Sawyer,' Christabel told her, and since faeries couldn't lie, Sawyer knew she was telling the truth. 'Let me make up for it. Now that we're friends, I've decided to make you my new project.'  
Sawyer laughed. 'You really don't have to do that.'  
'I know,' she said, 'That's what makes me so nice.' After she had said that, she started to sing.  
'Whenever I see someone less fortunate than I  
And let's face it, who isn't less fortunate than I'  
'Are you that fortunate? You've been banned!' It was blunt, Sawyer knew it, but she wasn't good at being charming in any other way. She didn't know how to.  
'Yes, but momsy wants me unbanned, and she sends me very nice presents,' Christabel said, 'But let's sing on!'  
'My tender heart tends to start to bleed  
And when someone needs a makeover, I simply have to take over  
I know, I know, exactly what they need  
And even in your case'  
Christabel touched Sawyers hair, which was braided as usual.  
'Though it's the toughtest case I've yet to face  
Don't worry, I'm determined to succeed, follow my lead  
And yes indeed  
You will be popular  
You're gonna be popular!  
I'll teach you the proper poise,  
When you talk to boys,  
Little ways to flirt and flounce,  
ooh!  
I'll show you what shoes to wear!  
How to fix your hair!'  
Christabel unbraided Sawyers hair, and brushed it with her own glittery brush  
'Everthing that really counts to be popular  
I'll help you be popular!  
You'll hang with the right cohorts,  
You'll be good at sports,  
Know the slang you've got to know.  
So let's start,  
'Cause you've got an awfully long way to go!'  
A long way indeed, Sawyer thought, for she was anything but popular.  
'Don't be offended by my frank analysis,  
Think of it as personality dialysis,  
Now that I've chosen to become a  
Pal, a sister and advisor,  
There's nobody wiser!  
Not when it comes to popular

I know about popular.  
and with an assist from me,  
to be who you'll be,  
instead of dreary who you were...  
Well, are.  
There's nothing that can stop you,  
from becoming popu-ler... lar...

la la, la la!  
We're gonna make you pop-u-lar!'  
Sawyer wondered what would help hér to be popular. She couldn't imagine herself being popular, she just couldn't.

'When i see depressing creatures,  
With unprepossessing features,  
I remind them on their own behalf  
To - think - of  
Celebrated heads of state,  
Or specially great communicators!  
Did they have brains or knowledge?  
Don't make me laugh!'

That wasn't reassuring to Sawyer. She had brains and knowledge, but she wasn't popular. It was a bit like Christabel was telling her she would never manage anything. But she would be with the wizard, she knew that.

'They were popular  
Please!  
It's all about popular.  
It's not about aptitude,  
It's the way you're viewed,  
So it's very shrewd to be,  
Very very popular  
like me!'

'You're hair looks great like this. We'll need to find you something nice to wear, but let's start with this.' Christabel took a pink flower out of her hair, and placed it in Sawyers hair.  
'Yup, pink goes good with green,' Christabel declared, 'Tomorrow we have a day off, I will take you shopping. This dress just isn't it. The hat is, though. A bit odd, but totally your style. We just have to find a nice dress, something elegant. I'll teach how to be elegant, and how to walk with grace. And I will buy you high heeled boots, that will suit you perfectly. Yes, I've got a perfect plan!'

A few days later, Christabel had given her a complete make over. Sawyer had to admit, she looked better in these black high heeled boots, and this elegant black dress. Then professor Brown had disappeared. He had been arrested, they had been told, because he was breaking the clave law. Sawyer couldn't imagine it, professor Brown was one of the nicest people she knew. A new teacher had shown up, a vampire man who looked about twenty, but could be any age for his kind was like her own and the Fair Folk immortal.  
'I'm professor Nightshade,' he said, 'What I will show you is not about the past. It is our future. Long the lycanthrophes despised us. Not only my kind, but our organisation, the Wizard himself.'  
He revealed a cage, with a wolf puppy in it. The image of this shocked Sawyer. She just knew this once had been a werewolf child. She could sense it. She also sensed this was no longer a werewolf, it was just a wolf now.  
'What have you done to him?' Sawyer shrieked.  
'Her, actually,' the vampire told her, 'This is my project, what I have been working for. Taking the human part out of the werewolves. Only the wolf is left.'  
How could this happen? Someone ought to tell the wizard. She was going to meet the wizard soon, she would tell him. He wass the boss, surely he could do something about it. Suddenly she remembered how Collin at the end of Magnus Banes' party had given her his number. She used her magic. This was something she had done before, by accident, and now she could control it. She made time stop, at least in this classroom. She took her Phone out of her bag. It wasn't really allowed, but as long as she kept it in het bag and nobody saw it, nobody really cared. She put it on, and called the number she had memorised.  
'Collin speaking,' she heard his voice.  
'Collin, I need your help,' she said, and she gave him the location. She would take away the poor young cub, but he had to hide it, untill she could meet the wizard. She wasn't sure if it was wise to inform the clave. To Sawyer, the wizard was a more powerful man than the clave was, though that probably wasn't entirely true. Sawyer had no idea how much time had passed until Collin arrived, for she had stopped time. Because he only entered now, time didn't stop for him.  
'What have you done, Sawyer?' he asked shocked.  
'I can't hold this much longer,' Sawyer answered, 'I need help. This was a werewolf cub, but no it's just a wolf. I want to try to reverse the spell, and inform the wizard, but 'till then, it must be kept secret. Pretend it's your dog, or something.'  
'Look, Sawyer,' he said, 'I wanna help you, but I don't know how. It will be hard.'  
'Pretend the dog belongs to a friend, that you're taking care of her. I will try to reverse the spell, I will try to save this young werewolf, but I need time!'  
Sawyer opened the cage, and took out the dog. 'Easy, girl, easy,' she said in a calming tone, hoping the young wolf wouldn't panic.  
'You really are impulsive, aren't you?' Collin asked, when they were leaving, Sawyer holding the wolf. The time spell faded, and the vampire professor would notice she had left. Maybe she should use more magic, or make up some excuse, but now she had to save the puppy.  
'I can't leave this young wolf, I just can't,' she said, 'You ought to know, being a shadowhunter. You're supposed to protect the innocent, and so do I.'  
'I will take the dog from here,' Collin promised, 'But don't leave me with her to long, please.'  
Sawyer handed Collin the little dog, who was a calmer than Sawyer would expect. 'Don't let anything happen to her!'

Sawyer was thinking of Collin that evening in her room, while doing homework. Christabel barely did any homework, Sawyer had noticed, but she was smarter than she seemed. Was she in love with Collin? If so, it was really stupid. There was no future for a shadowhunter and a warlock together, shadowhunters only married other shadowhunters. But he was nice, he didn't hate downworlders, he was nice to her, and his best friend was a vampire. Someone knocked on the door. Maybe it was Rosaline, her sister. Sawyer opened. It wasn't Rosaline. It was miss Darcy.  
'Miss Sawyer, the Wizard expects you tomorrow. I'll bring you there, it isn't possible for anyone who isn't allowed to to find the wizard. Congratulations, miss Sawyer. You've done well, and you will be by the wizards side soon.'  
Miss Darcy left after saying that, and Sawyer looked happier than ever. 'That is so great!' Christabel shrieked.  
'But you will still spend time with me, won't you?' she asked then.  
'Of course I will,' Sawyer said, 'You're my best friend! You know what? Come with me tomorrow! There is more in the wizards house than just where he lives, it's said to be fantastic!'  
Christabel cried a bit and smiled at the same time, she was a very emotional person. 'Thank you so much!'

As a joke, the wizards palace was called "Emerald city". There lived other downworlders, it was untraceble in another dimension in some complicated way, and it was said to be amazing.  
'This is so amazing!' Christabel cried.  
'Are you sure about taking her with you?' miss Darcy asked, in the same cold voice she always used.  
'Absolutely sure, miss,' Sawyer said.  
'I want you girls to wait her, I'll tell the wizard that you're here.'  
Miss Darcy walked into a door, and Christabel and Sawyer waited. 'I'm nervous,' Sawyer announced.  
'Me too,' Christabel said, 'Not many get to meet the wizard. And I'm not even that special.'  
'You're a faerie princess, Christabel,' was Sawyers answer, 'Of course you are special.'  
Christabel opened her mouth to say something, but then the door opened. In the room sat a man. He looked much younger than he had in Sawyers imagination, but of course, warlocks were immortal. They didn't look like old men with long beards like Gandalf from lord of the rings.  
'Come in, both of you, please,' he said.  
Nervous, Sawyer stepped into the room, Christabel following her. The room was huge. There was a wooden desk that looked very old, but in good shape. The wizard wore an old fashioned suit, that part Sawyer had expected. He had green eyes and dark hair, and he looked around twenty.  
'Sit down, young ladies,' he told them, and they both sat down on chairs, as old fashioned as the desk, but very comfortable.  
'This is, of course, mostly about you, miss Sawyer,' the wizard said. 'I have an offer for you, both of you actually, now you are here anyway, miss Christabel. But first, to proof your powers, you must pick up this spell book.'  
The wizard pointed at a dark book. It was huge, and bound in a very old way. Of course this was a spell book.  
'This is the most powerful spellbook in the world,' the wizard explained, 'And even the Clave doesn't know of it's existance. Only a very few warlocks do. Most think the book of white is the most powerful spellbook, a book that disappeared after what shadowhunters call the Uprising. Using it's spells is very hard. I am not capable of it, for I have no magical powers of my own.'  
This shocked Sawyer. No powers? How was that possible? But of course. Why would he need her, if he wasn't the most powerful warlock on earth? It suddenly made sense. If he revealed this secret, no downworlder would take him seriously. He was a very smart man, the wizard. Sawyer opened the spell book. It was written in ancient greek, but some spells were in demon languages. Sawyer could read it, she had studied those languages so much she didn't even need a dictionary to read it.  
'What do you want me to do?'  
The wizard showed her a cage, in the corner, a cloth had been over it at first. A goat was inside it. The wizard released it into the room.  
'I want you to make it fly. You see, everyone deserves the chance to fly. I want to take that more literal. I want you to try it on the goat first, and if it works alright, try it on me.'  
Sawyer nodded, turned the pages, looking for a spell to make one fly. Finally, she had found one. The effects were described in ancient greek, as was the melody for the spell. The spell itself was in demon languages.  
'Ahben Tahkay Ahben Tahkay Ahben Atum Ahben Takayah Entayah Ah Entayah Tifentah Ahben Tahkay Ah,' she chanted. She felt how to do it, she felt she was chanting it right. Then, the goat began to float. The goat was scared, obviously, and Sawyer, who liked animals, felt sorry for using the spell on the goat.  
'It works on a goat who once was a warlock,' the wizard observed.  
Was once a warlock? Oh no. This was just like the werewolf cub she had saved. The wizard knew! It had been the wizard all along.  
'How can you do this?!' she screamed, 'This once was a human! How can you torture someone like this?'  
Both Christabel and the wizard were shocked. Sawyer took the spell book and ran for it, trough some doors, Christabel following her.  
'Sawyer, why couldn't you stay calm for once?' she snapped, 'I hope you're happy. I hope you're happy now.'  
'I can't just let him do this. He's evil! Do you really want to stay here and let him do this?'  
Suddenly, a familiair cold voice sounded everywhere. Just everywhere.  
'Beware, members of the order of the wizard!' miss Darcy screamed, 'One of our own betrayed us. A young and extremely powerful warlock girl turned against the wizard. She's easy to recognize by her green skin. Believe nothing she says, she's evil. She's a WICKED WITCH!'  
Sawyer gasped. 'Don't be afraid,' Christabel told her.  
'I'm not afraid,' she said. 'It is the wizard who should be afraid. Of me!'  
'Is this the point where you start singing defying gravity?' Christabel asked her, 'Because if you are going to, I'd like to know it so I can sing with you.'  
Sawyer laughed a bit. 'I might sing a bit. But first, I must defy gravity.'

Sawyer shouted the same spell again and again, this time over herself. It wasn't an easy spell, especially on herself. It was one of the hardest spells she had ever done. But it worked. In the end, it worked. She knew what it had done, she could fly now. It wasn't easy to control, but she could fly.  
'Come with me,' Sawyer said, 'Think of what we could do, together! I'm limited, together we're unlimited. Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been. A powerful warlock and a powerful faerie. Dreams the way we planned them.'  
'If we work in tandem,' Christabel said in a melodic voice.  
'There's no fight we cannot win,' the said together.  
'We will defy gravity together! Are you coming?'  
Christabel looked doubtful. 'I hope you're happy, I really do. But I can't. I will always be your friend, but I can't come with you. Find a way to contact me, and I'll spy on the wizard for you. That's the best way to defeat him, I think. You may have his powerful spellbook, but we don't know what else he can do.'  
'I hope you're happy, I really hope you get, and you don't live to regret. I want you to be happy, my friend.'  
Then she started to levitate. A lot of people got into the room. Few of them tried to capture Christabel. 'No, leave her alone!' Sawyer shouted at them, 'She has nothing to do with it. It's me you want, it's ME!'  
She was already way past where they could reach. There were only some vampires she saw. Just vampires. They weren't that powerful, were they? But she needed to send a message to Christabel, something only she would understand. Suddenly, she got it. The vampires would think she was crazy, but that didn't matter. She started to sing.  
'So if you care to find me, look to the western sky  
As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to fly  
And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free  
To those who'd ground me, take a message back from me  
Tell them how I am defying gravity  
I'm flying high, defying gravity  
And soon I'll match them in renown  
And nobody, in all of Oz  
No wizard that there is or was  
Is ever gonna bring me down  
Bring me down!  
Ooh!'  
It was a message. She was going to the west. Los Angeles, maybe. She also made clear she was going to defeat the wizard. She could not let this stand, she could not let him do this. The order would call her wicked for it, and probably the Clave as well, but she didn't care, she was better than them. All of them. And Collin knew she wasn't evil, of course. She would find him first, pick up the wolf cub, and then fly with it to Los Angeles. There she would hide. She knew how to built dimensional hideouts, and warlocks couldn't be traced with tracking spells.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: This is were the second part begins. I know, the first part was short, but I want to focus on the second part after Sawyer turned against the Wizard. Because, in this story the Wizard is really evil, though in the musical he was just addicted to being viewed as wonderful and everything. This is where the Mortal Instruments characters will appear first. It's mostly written from Alec, because he's my favourite character, and I relate to him most. This contains spoilers for the first three books, it happens after City of Glass, after Magnus and Alec returned from their vacation.

* * *

Alec Lightwood had after a few months being on a vacation with Magnus returned to New York, and stood before the Institute. Magnus had come with him this far, but would go home.  
'See you soon, sweatheart,' Magnus said, and he kissed him.  
Alec had gotten used to that now, though it had been awkward to him at first. When Magnus broke away, Alec saw his father standing in the door opening.  
'See you soon,' Alec returned, before looking at his father. Magnus disappeared, he probably used magic so he wouldn't have to go by metro all the way to Brooklyn.  
'There will be a council meeting tomorrow, Alexander,' Robert Lightwood told him, 'It is requested that you will be there. We will be leaving for Idris now.'  
Usually, nobody was obliged to go to council meetings. Most people did, though, but Alec not often. It appeared to him, that nobody took him really serious when he spoke. Alec often wondered if it was because he was young, only eighteen, or if it was because in their opinion, a gay shadowhunter wasn't really a shadowhunter.  
'Now?' Alec asked, 'But I just came back. Can't I see Jace and Izzy first?'  
'No,' his father said, 'We won't stay in Idris long, but the Clave wants you there. Catarina Loss already is here to make a portal.'  
Catarina Loss was a female warlock who mostly worked as a nurse. Alec didn't know her well, but Magnus did. She was a close friend of his, he had told him.  
'You know, Alexander, sometimes I wonder if I did something wrong, something that caused... what you are now.'  
Alec at first stared at his father, in disbelief. Alec had thought his father had accepted him. Well, he hadn't said much about it to him, but he hadn't told him he thought there was something wrong with him, or something like that.  
'If you're trying to break my relationship with Magnus, please don't,' Alec stammered.  
This was what Alec had been afraid of, why he never had had the nerve to tell anyone but Izzy that he was gay before he had kissed Magnus in the accords hall.  
'It's not the warlock in specific,' his father said, 'What I really want to know is what went wrong. Do you know what went wrong? Is it possible to fix it?'  
Alec tried and tried not to cry, which was nearly impossible. 'Try to look at it as part of who I am and not as what is wrong with me.'  
More Alec didn't know to say. He wasn't good at saying smart things. Alec might be clever and sensible, saying smart things was what Jace was good at, not Alec. He mostly ignored his father the rest of the walk. There stood Catarina Loss. She would probably go with them, she was the representive of the warlocks.

The council meeting was early in the morning the next day, and Alec was happy with that. He didn't know how long he could stand being there. Last evening, an old friend of his mother's told him it was a pity no one would inherit his blue eyes, since his sister didn't have blue eyes like him. The blue eyes Magnus had told him he found so beautiful. The new consul was Jia Penhallow, Aline's mother, and she opened the meeting.  
'Some of you might not yet have heard, but this meating concerns the Wicked Witch of the West. We haven't heard about her for long, until recently, when two shadowhunters were found dead in Los Angeles. The silent brothers determined they were murdered by a warlock, and the head of the downworlder organisation called The Wizard's Order told me his spies had seen the Witch murdering those shadowhunters.'  
'You can't prove he's telling the truth,' Collin Greenwood protested.  
Alec knew who he was. Collin Greenwood was a year older than Alec, and part of the New York conclave. Because Collin had been trained in Idris, Alec didn't know him very well.  
'Mr Greenwood, please,' Jia said, 'The wizard has been an ally of the Clave for long, and he believes the Wicked Witch of the West owns a powerful spellbook, and that she wants to destroy the Clave. He doesn't know why, he fears she's too much demon to be good. He thinks she wants to start a war. And after the war with Valentine, the Clave isn't ready for that. We need someone to find her and to assasinate her.'  
Alec started to wonder why he had to be here. What did any of this have to do with him?  
'We can't just send a shadowhunter after her,' Helen Blackthorn protested, 'She already killed two of us.'  
'We need help from a warlock,' someone else said, 'A warlock as powerful as the Wicked Witch herself.'  
Alec had an idea where this was going now, and he didn't like it much.  
'Yes, I am aware of that. Unfortunately, we can't afford any. Therefore this is my proposition: Alec Lightwood, who is in a relationship with the warlock Magnus Bane, will be tasked with finding and killing the Wicked Witch of the West. He may request help from the Clave, but the tast will be laid on his shoulders.'  
'That is misuse of our kind and you know it, Jia,' Catarina Loss protested.  
'No, it is not,' was the consul's answer, 'The Wicked Witch of the West is mostly a threat to our kind, but to your kind as well. She must be found and killed, before she destroys us. Alec Lightwood, will you or will you not accept this task?'  
Alec took his time answering. There was no way he could think of to refuse. By saying no, he would tell them he wasn't brave enough, that he wasn't really a good shadowhunter. Jace wouldn't refuse, he knew. But Jace was reckless, not as sensible as Alec himself. But if Jace would get this task, Alec would help him in every way he could. Jace was too reckless to do things alone, Alec wasn't as good at fighting as Jace, but Jace needed him. This wasn't that different.  
'I will accept this task,' he said, though he had no idea what to do, or where to start. He was definitely going to need Magnus' help. Because he was an adult, no voting was needed about this. He was in charge of finding the Wicked Witch of the West, and the only clue he had was that she was somewhere near Los Angeles, probably, but she could fly. How was he supposed to find someone who can fly?

Ariadne knew very well that she was defying the Clave by what she was doing. It wasn't exactly against the law, but they certainly wouldn't like it. Ariadne was part faerie, which left her with pointy ears and sharp feature. Her mother was a shadowhunter, and therefore Ariadne was one. But she had some talents in seeing the future, and runes were more painful for her. What she was going to do had mostly to do with her talent of seeing the future. Ariadne had a ten year old half brother, he didn't have a faerie father, and she knew he was in terrible danger. She didn't know why, she couldn't tell, couldn't see. But she knew she had to protect him, and she needed a warlock's help. That was why she was meeting with the wizard, the head of the wizard's order, an organisation that was allied with the Clave and protected young downworlders, and taught them. She hoped he could help her. Of course there would be a price, but she was willing to pay. Warlocks rarely helped shadowhunters for free. The only warlock who did of whom she knew was Magnus Bane, who she had seen kissing a shadowhunter boy in the accords hall while preparing for the battle against Valentine. Ariadne didn't have a warlock lover, so she guessed she wouldn't have any services for free.  
'Welcome, miss Midwinter,' the wizard said, 'Follow me, we're going to the Emerald City.'  
The Emerald City wasn't exactly a city. More like a gigantic house, hidden in a dimension hole. It was complicated, and Ariadne wasn't really an expert. Inside the house, the wizard took her to what appeared to Ariadne to be his office. It looked old fashioned, with a wooden desk and chairs she guessed would be victorian style.  
'Sit down, please,' he said.  
Ariadne sat down on one of the chairs. It was quite comfortable, to her.  
'When I received your message, it was quite surprised,' the wizard said, 'Quite surprised indeed, miss Midwinter. Could you explain the situation please?'  
Ariadne explained about her talent, it wasn't a very strong one, but this time she was sure. She explained what her brother needed. Of course, shadowhunters died all the time, it was part of their life, but Tommy was only ten.  
'So you need protectional spells,' the wizard said.  
'Yes, I do,' Ariadne answered, 'And I brought some money. I'm not sure if it is enough.'  
'Protectional spells like the ones you are suggesting aren't easy, miss Midwinter. It is very strong magic. But it is not money I want. There is something else you could help me with.'  
Ariadne looked at him, a bit shocked. What did he want her to do?  
'I want you to kill the Wicked Witch of the West.'  
Ariadne knew who the Wicked Witch of the West was. She was a female warlock, with a green skin who resided somewhere in the west, but no one was able to find her. She had turned against the wizard, two year ago, and no one had heard from here until recently.  
'I'll do it, sure,' she said, 'Do you have any clue how I can find her? It's not like I can find her name in the Phone book or something.'  
The wizard smiled a bit. 'I would try to find her sister, she resides in New York not far from here. We call her the Wicked Witch of the East, as a joke. She doesn't contact us much, but maybe you can find out from her where her sister lives. I must warn you. The Wicked Witch of the East isn't very powerful, or dangerous, but her sister is. Oh, she really is. She can fly, you know.'  
'Don't worry, I'll do it. I have to save my brother.'

Sawyer knew as much as the Clave did about the two murders so near. Two dead shadowhunters, and the wizard claimed she had killed them. Claimed his spies had seen her do it. It wasn't hard to figure that out. The wizard had killed them, he wanted to get rid of her. Because she was more powerful than him. Because she could destroy him. Trough Collin, who had become very close with her, she gained information about the Clave. He had told her they had sent the shadowhunter Alec Lightwood to find her.  
'What is he like?' Sawyer had asked, 'Do you know him?'  
'Not that well,' Collin had admitted, 'But I know that his parabatai, Jace Lightwood, is a war hero, and I know he is gay and in a relationship with the warlock Magnus Bane, that's why they want him to do it. Bane is the only option they have, they fear you want to destroy the Clave.'  
Christabel told her the wizard wanted to destroy the Clave, and Sawyer and Collin were making plans, on how to prevent that from happening, and Sawyer had some sort of plan. She had to prove she wasn't evil. But she was going to meet Magnus Bane to her, and she couldn't forget how cruel he had been to her once. Of course, the first time she had met him he was nice, but after that... Sawyer wasn't sure if she could forgive him.  
Sawyer it was also time to ask her sister Rosaline for help. Rosaline lived in New York, in a house like hers, hidden between the dimensions. Sawyer's house was stuck, it couldn't travel, but Sawyer could fly, and very fast too. She used a glamour to make herself invisible, and flied to the East to meet her sister. She knew Jamie, the mundane, lived with her, and that she was still in a wheelchair, but Jamie helped her. Her meeting with her sister didn't go that well at all.  
'And why should I help you?' Rosaline asked her.  
'You fly around the world, try to rescue warlocks and werewolves you've never even met and not even once you ever thought to use your powers, rescue me. All of my life I've depended on you, how do you think that feels? All of my life, I've depended on you and this hideous chair with wheels.'  
'Rosaline, there isn't a spell for everything. Magic is mysterious, and I'm only eighteen. I haven't had that much time to study the book, and how to use all those spells.'  
Sawyer opened her spellbook, and looked for something. She turned a few pages, and suddenly she knew what might help her sister with her disability.  
'Of course! Ambulahn Dare Pahto Pahpoot Ambulahn Dasca Caldapess Lahfenahto Lahfenahtum Pede Pede Caldapess!' she chanted.  
'My shoes, it feels like they're on fire!' Rosaline screamed, but when Sawyer was done chanting, Rosaline could suddenly stand. She could walk. She was no longer dependend on her wheelchair.  
'Oh, thank you Sawyer!' she screamed, 'Jamie, Jamie come her!'  
The mundane walked into the room. 'You! You did this for her?'  
Sawyer nodded, not sure if she could trust the mundane, but surely he couldn't fight her. He was just a mundane.  
'For both of us,' Rosaline said.  
'Rosie, this changes everything,' Jamie said, and Rosaline laughed happily. 'Yes, I know.'  
'Rosie, now surely I'll matter less to you. You won't mind my leaving, now, will you?'  
'Leaving?' she asked, a bit shocked.  
'You forbade any of us to leave, me nor your servants, but now you can walk, you surely don't need that, do you? But now you won't need me, and I will go find Christabel.'  
Both Sawyer and Christabel were surprised. 'Christabel?' Rosaline asked, 'Why do you want to find hér?'  
'Rosie, I lost my heart to Christabel from the moment I saw her, you know what, don't you?'  
Rosaline looked hurt, and shocked. 'Lost your heart?' she asked, bitter, 'We'll see of that.' Rosaline looked a bit angry at the poor mundane boy. 'Rosaline, let him go,' Sawyer warned, knowing this could very well go wrong.  
'You're going to lose your heart to me, I tell you, even If I have to.. I have to... Magic spell you.'  
Rosaline took her spellbook. 'Don't!' Sawyer told her, but Rosaline didn't stop. She started chanting, not the way Sawyer did, but weaker. She didn't really know how to.  
'Stop it!'' Sawyer screamed, but Rosaline had finished the spell already.  
'My heart!' Jamie screamed, 'It feels like... It's shrinking!'  
'Do something!' Rosaline screamed, but Sawyer didn't know what. 'These spells are too powerful, they can't be reversed once they've been cast.'  
Sawyer started looking for something in the spellbook, maybe she could find a way to let him live without a heart. Becoming a vampire would do, of course, but Sawyer wasn't one and she couldn't find one to change Jamie in time.  
'This is all you're fault, if you hadn't shown me that terrible book!'  
'Shh, I'm trying to find another spell.' Sawyer kept looking and looking, there had to be something.  
'Save him, please' Rosaline spoke, maybe more singing than speaking, 'Just save him, my dear Jamie, my love, my brave him. Do not leave 'till my sorry life has ceased. Alone and loveless here, just the girl in the mirror. Just her and me, Wicked Witch of the East. We deserve each other.'  
Sawyer had started chanting, and it was working. She was changing the boy into a Clockwork Creature. She had heard of those before during history classes, about the young and very special warlock Tessa Gray, and Mortmain, who needed her, who had wanted to destroy the Clave. In some way the wizard wasn't that different from Mortmain.  
'The name is not a joke,' Rosaline sighed, 'I ám the Wicked Witch of the East.'


	5. Chapter 5

Magnus Bane had come to the Institute, since Alec's message had requested that. He had said it was important, and Magnus believed him. Magnus hoped nothing bad was happening. The war against Valentine had happened recently, and Magnus hated that sort of wars. He would have gone into hiding if it hadn't been for Alec. Alec sat on a chair in the living room, he looked serious. With Alec, that wasn't much of a surprise, he was a serious person. Isabelle, Jace and Clary were there as well, and they had a Phone on the speaker. The vampire boy, Magnus guessed. He couldn't enter the Institute.  
'What happened?' Magnus asked, and he looked worried at Alec, who looked worried as well. So did Isabelle. And Jace. Clearly, something was going on. Magnus sat down next to Alec.  
'The Clave wants me to kill the Wicked Witch of the West,' Alec said, 'Mostly because of you, Magnus, because you can help me find her. I don't know what to do. I'm not even sure if I could kill her, would I find her. I'm not particularly good at killing, not downworlders.'  
'Of course, we'll all help him and go with him,' Jace said, 'But we have no clue where to start.'  
Magnus remembered the Wicked Witch of the West. He felt a bit guilty. The first time he had met her, she attended one of his parties, and he had met her after that once. She had asked him for help, but he had refused. Maybe if he had helped her, she wouldn't have turned evil. Magnus had believed when she had asked her for help that she was evil, the news was out in the world already, that's why he had turned her down. But later he thought, she didn't appear evil then, but after killing those shadowhunters, she was now.  
'She has a sister,' Magnus said, 'Rosaline, a warlock, nowhere near her own power, but maybe she know where to find her.'  
'Don't they call her the Wicked Witch of the East?' Isabelle asked, 'Do you think she would help us to kill her sister? Just guessing, but the name sort of says she's Wicked. Besides, if Alec were an evil warlock, I wouldn't betray him to you either.'  
Alec looked at his sister. 'I'm not a warlock and I'm not evil, that wouldn't be the same. But if her sister is evil, than we'll have to force her to tell the truth or something, and we would have to kill her, even if we don't want to.'  
'Why would we have to kill her?' The voice came trough the Phone. The vampire boy.  
'Because it is the law,' Alec said, 'If we can prove a downworlder has broken the law, we have to kill the downworlder.'  
'I'll be careful,' vampire boy said as a joke, 'I wouldn't want you to kill me, Alec.'  
'I'm serious, Simon,' Alec said, 'I may soon be responsible for killing both witches.'

Ariadne was in fighting gear, and had taken a seraph blade, another dagger, and her chakrams, which were her weapons of choice. She was going to find the Wicked Witch of the East, and she wasn't taking any risk. She had to be armed. She had runed herself as if she were going to battle, just in case. The place were the witch lived wasn't exactly listed, but she had found a way to find a dimensional hole. It appeared that the witch lived in an appartment in Manhattan. She was going to break in, that was the plan. She used an opening rune on the door, something mundanes wouldn't notice. She walked up the stairs, and opened the door to the witches house with an opening rune as well. She closed the door behind her, so the mundanes wouldn't notice anything. From the inside, the place was gigantic. Ariadne didn't know where she had to go to find the witch.  
'Hello?' she shouted. Her voice resounded trough the hall. From the outside, it looked like a smart appartment. From the inside it was more like a castle. Everything was beautifully decorated. And, Ariadne remembered the story about the wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the East wouldn't die because a house fell on her. A man walked towards her. When he got closer, she saw he wasn't really a person. He was made of clockwork, and she heard a ticking sound from him. Was that the replacement of a heart? What was this? A robot?  
'Who are you?' the clockwork creature asked, 'Have you come to save me?'  
'Save you from whom?' Ariadne inquired. Had the Wicked Witch of the East done this? But she wasn't that powerful, was she?  
'The Witch, of course,' The clockwork creature said, 'She removed my heart with her magic, and then her sister turned me into this, so I wouldn't die of losing my heart. They're both wicked.'  
Ariadne thought deeply. 'What were you before you became a clockwork man?' she asked.  
'I was a young man,' he said, 'My sister's a warlock, and I was going to become a vampire, so we could both live forever. She is all I ever had, my sister. But then I met Rosaline, and at first she seemed nice. Her sister was odd, though, with her green skin. I also met Christabel. You may know her as the Good Faerie of the North. I fell in love with her, but Rosaline loved me, and because of her disability I stayed with her, after her sister turned evil. But she turned as evil as her sister, for she wouldn't let me out of the house, not ever, and neither were the servants allowed to leave. Then her sister gave her enchanted shoes, and now she can walk. I wanted to leave, for she didn't need me, but she wouldn't let me, and when I told her I love Christabel, she made me lose my heart to her, literally, and then her sister turned me into this clockwork creature.'  
'You were a mundane. Using this kind of magic on a mundane is against the law,' Ariadne says, 'That means I am allowed to kill her. Firstly I will try to find out where her sister lives, because I will kill her, but then I will kill the Wicked Witch of the East as well. Will you help me? Do you have any idea what you can do with your clockwork body? Where is the witch?'  
The clockwork creature showed her the way trough the house. Hadn't the witch noticed she was there? But she wasn't powerful, not that powerful.  
'In here,' the clockwork creature said.  
Ariadne walked in. It was a huge hall, with a beautiful chair with wheels. The clockwork creature had told her the witch no longer needed the wheel chair. Ariadne saw her standing, and then she looked at her.  
'Who are you?' she demanded, 'Shadowhunter.'  
'I'm Ariadne Midwinter, witch,' Ariadne said, 'You broke the law by what you did to that mundane, and you will die for it!' She grabbed hold of one of her chakrams, and then the second. Chakrams weren't easy weapons to fight with, but when you were skilled, chakrams were very useful. The witch created blue flames and threw them at her. Ariadne evaded the attack and threw one of the chakrams. The witch almost evaded it, but it cut her arm. Ariadne saw blood streaming over her arm. It was easy to notice in the white dress she wore. Ariadne caught her chakram again.  
'Kill her, Ariadne!' the clockwork creature screamed.  
'Even you, Jamie?' she asked, 'Are you against me? Do you want me dead? Kill me then, shadowhunter. Kill me, and live with the guilt of killing an innocent woman.'  
'You are no innocent woman,' Ariadne shouted while throwing her chakram again, 'You tried to remove this boy's heart! But I might have mercy. Tell me where your sister is, and I'll let you live. Tell me where your sister is!'  
The witch looked at her. 'I won't. Kill me if you want to, it doesn't bother me anymore, not without Jamie. It is true. I am the Wicked Witch of the East, but I never wanted to be. All I wanted was for him to stay with me, to stay 'till my sorry life has ceased. Kill me, take him with you if you want to, but my life is over.'  
Ariadne caught her chakram, which had missed the witch in purpose and was meant as a distraction. 'Die, then, witch!' she screamed, and once again she threw her chakram, and this time, it hit the neck of the witch, piercing deep trough, and she collapsed. Ariadne knew she was dead. She walked up to the dead witch to recollect her chakram. By the law, she could have some of this things. The witch had been rich, Ariadne could be rich. She had proof the witch had broken the law, and officially this was all hers. But Ariadne didn't want it. She wanted her brother to be safe. Now that the witch was dead, she did feel some guilt. She knew it had been her right to kill this woman, but the way she looked, dead, it was sad. Now she was dead, Ariadne started to understand part of her. This woman had been madly in love with the mundane, and tried to make him lose his heart to her. That happened, but too literal. She wasn't evil the way her sister was, though she had done bad things.  
'What is your name, Clockwork man?' she asked.  
'Jamie,' he answered.  
'Jamie, help me search this place for clues, where the Wicked Witch of the West is.'

They had all come together at Magnus' place in the end, because Simon couldn't enter the Institute, and it wasn't easy for him to just talk with them trough his phone.  
'So you know where we can find the Wicked Witch of the East,' Simon said, 'Isn't that the witch who was crashed under Dorothy's house or something? And the Wicked Witch of the West melted because Dorothy threw a bucket of water over her.'  
Alec stared at him in disbelief. 'Are you suggesting I should throw water over her? Because I really don't think that would kill her.'  
'Forget about it,' Simon said, 'You don't really look like Dorothy either. She wasn't exactly a shadowhunter, you know.'  
Alec sighed. 'Magnus knows where the Wicked Witch of the East lives, but we don't know if she could help us. It is our only lead, so we'll try.'  
'If it is a dead end,' Jace said, 'We could travel to Los Angeles, that's where the dead shadowhunters were found. That may also be a lead.'  
Alec looked at his parabatai. 'That might be a good idea, if the witch here can't help us. We'll need a plan, though, to enter her house, and to survive her, if she is dangerous.'  
Magnus shook his head. 'She isn't powerful, the Wicked Witch of the East. Not like her sister. I don't know who the Wicked Witch of the West's father is, but he must be a very powerful demon. Like...'  
Magnus didn't finish his sentence, but Alec knew he meant his own father. Compared to Magnus' father, Alec's own father wasn't even that bad.  
After Izzy and Jace had gone back to the Institute, and Simon and Clary both went home, Alec went to bed together with Magnus. He was tired, after the council meeting that morning, and making plans to succeed Alec's impossible job. He also felt tired of Idris. Shadowhunter there were less acceptant of relationships with downworlders, and most of them were very homophobic. It was painful and exhaustive for Alec. He lay down close to Magnus, and he put his arm around Magnus.  
'Magnus, have you ever had to deal with homophobia?' he asked. Alec didn't know exactly how old Magnus was, but he probably had lived for a while, and in a time when homosexuality was even less accepted than now.  
'Well, yes of course,' Magnus asked, 'But your parents, they have accepted it, haven't they?'  
Alec lay down his head closer to Magnus. 'My father not really. He asked me what he did wrong, what turned me gay. I just want to know... how to deal with it.'  
Magnus put his hand in Alec's hair. 'It isn't easy, Alec, certainly not with your father not accepting you, I can understand that. Best thing to do is try to be stronger than that, or try to explain it to your father.'  
'I'm tired,' Alec finally said, 'I'm going to sleep if that's okay with you.'  
'Good night, darling,' Magnus told him.  
'Good night, Magnus,' Alec whispered back, and soon after that he fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

'What are you doing here?' Collin demanded.  
Sawyer had broken into Emerald City, and Collin had followed her. It hadn't been easy, but Sawyer had discovered her magic was strong enough to get herself into the place.  
'I want to free the other warlock and werewolf - animals,' she said, 'I still haven't found a cure, but I want them to be safe from the wizard, at least.'  
Collin, of course, would help her. He always did. He and Christabel were the only people she could fully trust. She had found a room full of cages. She thought of Magnus Bane. She didn't want anything like that to happen to him, even though he had let her down. He would probably turn into a cat. Was that the wizard's goal? Bane was the most powerful warlock still alive, except for her maybe. He sure wanted to get rid of Magnus. She saw the goat, still levitating, in his cage. There was something familiair about him. It was something she had been thinking about for the two years since she had used the spell on him. It was almost as if she had seen him before, as a warlock instead of a goat. But of course!  
'Oh no,' she shrieked, 'I think.. I think this is professor Brown.'  
'The goat warlock?' Collin asked, shocked. Sawyer nodded. She cared about professor Brown, she always had. He had been her friend before she had befriended Christabel. Suddenly, a door opened nearby. She heard voices. She recognized miss Darcy and the wizard.  
'We have to get out of here, come back later,' Sawyer whispered urged.

'Something's wrong,' Sawyer said, 'Something's terribly wrong.'  
They were back at Sawyer's palace, something she had created with magic and magic alone. Collin looked at her, not understanding what she meant. He didn't know what she was sensing right now, shadowhunters didn't sense this sort of thing, unless they had a parabatai and Collin didn't. She felt there was something wrong with her sister, like parabatai felt that.  
'Rosaline,' she said, 'We've got to go there immediately. Maybe it's not yet too late!'  
Sawyer was able to let other people fly with her when she took their hand, and Collin had gotten used to that. They flew together at a very high pace to New York, to find Rosaline. The house appeared deserted, when Sawyer entered, but it was enormous, maybe she just hadn't seen anyone yet.  
'Rosaline!' she screamed trough the castle, and she ran towards the hall where Rosaline usually was. Sawyer found her there. She lay down on the ground, motionless, in a pool of blood. She was half beheaded, Sawyer saw when she got closer.  
'Oh no, Rosaline,' she cried, 'Who did this?'  
Of course, Rosaline couldn't answer, and though there were necromancy spells in her book, she wouldn't use them. She knew the dead didn't belong here, not really, unless brought back by an angel, and there would be no angel to bring back Rosaline. Rosaline had done terrible things in her life, but Sawyer still loved her. She had forgiven her little sister, she was just ignorant, she didn't know what spells could cause when cast wrong.  
'I think she is killed by a shadowhunter,' Collin said, 'I'm so sorry for you, dear.'  
'Shadowhunters,' Sawyer hissed, 'Would it be the one they sent after me? The Lightwood boy?'  
Collin shook his head. 'I doubt it, I've seen the Lightwood boy fight, he's an archer, if he'd kill her, he would shoot her with an arrow. His sister, or his parabatai, though, could have done this.' Sawyer was angry and sad, both of them. She wanted to destroy the person who had done this to her sister. Would the wizard have something to do with it? Sawyer looked at her sister's feet. The magical shoes were gone. Someone had taken her shoes! Suddenly, Christabel appeared. Sawyer didn't know where she came from, and if she had been here before, but she did.  
'Who did this?' Sawyer asked.  
'One of the nephilim. She took the shoes, because they make her stronger and faster.'  
Sawyer felt anger within her and she couldn't stop what happened next. 'So you let that murderer have the shoes? You let her? She doesn't deserve them, they belong to Rosaline and Rosaline alone! She works for the enemie, Christabel.'  
'She doesn't know better, Sawyer,' Christabel said in an annoyed tone, 'I am a faerie, Sawyer, I can foretell things. She will play an important role, just like you will, and maybe it will be for the better.'  
'Her name,' Sawyer demanded, 'Give me her name.'  
Christabel shook her head. 'I can't. I can't let you kill her. I know what you're feeling, but she doesn't deserve it, and it won't help you.'  
'She murdered my sister, Christabel!' Sawyer shouted, 'I can't let that stand, no matter what you think about it.'

Alec had gone to find the Wicked Witch of the East the next day, and everyone was coming. Everyone meant Magnus, Jace, Izzy, Simon and Clary. He wasn't sure about Clary and Simon, but he couldn't stop them either, so he let them come, but he had told them he was in charge. He was after all the most responsible of them all, the most serious.  
'She lives in a flat?' Simon asked confused.  
Magnus gave him a weird look. 'Of course not,' Magnus said, 'Her sister made her this place, from the outside it's a flat, but from the inside it's more like a palace. The security isn't very good, I believe, otherwise we wouldn't have found it so easily.'  
Alec wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but it was the the best they had. Well, more like least bad. He didn't expect the witch to help them, but maybe they would find something useful. Maybe he would be forced to kill her, something Alec didn't look forward to. He never considered himself a cold blooded killer, he had killed downworlders before, but not many and he didn't like it, because downworlders were people, even when he had believed they were lesser than shadowhunters, something he did no longer believe. They went inside, and the place seemded empty to Alec. He put an arrow on his bow, ready to shoot when necessary. Izzy had her whip in her right hand and a seraph blade in her left hand, Clary held a dagger and a seraph blade, and Jace hold a long sword. Unless the Wicked Witch of the West was here now, Alec didn't expect much trouble. He walked trough the corridors, untill he reached something that looked like a throne hall.  
'Safe,' Alec declared, when he saw the witch lying down. He knew she was dead, there was too much blood. He came close. The sight of the dead warlock was disgusting, but Alec ignored that. He had to investigate in order to find out what happened.  
'What happened?' Clary asked.  
'She's dead,' Magnus said. Alec saw her neck was severed, but not entirely. She was almost beheaded. But by what kind of weapon? 'Probably a shadowhunter weapon,' Alec muttered, 'But a shadowhunter would report to the Clave, and then the body wouldn't be lying here. According to the blood, she probably died right here, the killer didn't drag her somewhere else.'  
'Maybe someone wasn't following the law,' Jace said, 'Acting on his own, maybe? Let's search this place.'  
'Great idea,' Simon said, 'Does anyone have a map? Because I kind of feel like we're going to get lost here. I don't even know the way back.'

'Maybe you shouldn't take revenge,' Collin said, 'I understand what you must feel, but the murder was probably ordere by either the Wizard or the Clave, and it is the wizard we wish to defeat.'  
'Maybe you're right,' Sawyer said, but she kept thinking about the shadowhunters who would try to find her. Alec Lightwood had been tasked with finding her and killing her. His adoptive brother and parabatai Jace Lightwood would certainly come with him, as would his sister Isabelle Lightwood. According to Collin, the rune crafter, Clary Fairchild, and the daylighter vampire, Simon Lewis. And of course the warlock Magnus Bane. They would be a problem, of course. A rune crafter, a daylighter, a warlock. The three other shadowhunters. But maybe they could be convinced she was right.  
'I have a plan,' Sawyer said, then, 'I need Christabel for help, of course. I want them to find me.'

Alec had an appointment with the good Faerie of the North that evening, at Taki's, and he was going to take Jace with him. They hadn't found anything useful in the Wicked Witch of the East's palace, except that she was in Los Angeles, but that was a long shot. Los Angeles was to big, they wouldn't be able to find her if they couldn't narrow it down first. They had reported the murder to the Clave, and they didn't know much more than they did, and were questioned under the Mortal Sword. Alec had to continue his search for the Wicked Witch of the West after that, unfortunately. He had had some luck, though, because the good Faerie of the North had written to him, saying she could help him.  
'Don't talk too much,' Alec warned Jace, 'I don't want you to piss her off, like you usually would do.'  
'You're right,' Jace said, 'That is what I usually would do. But you're my best friend and I don't want to take away the only lead you have right now.'  
'Thanks,' Alec said softly. They walked inside Taki's, the restaurant where they came so often. When mom and dad where to Idris for Clave bussiness, they mostly had to, because Isabelle couldn't cook, and neither could Alec or Jace.  
'Wait, is that Simon?' Jace asked, pointing to the corner, 'With Maia?'  
Alec looked where Jace pointed, shocked. Was that a date? 'I'm going to have a word with him once we're finished here,' Alec decided, because he wanted to know what was going on, and he wanted to warn Simon not to mess around with his sister.  
'Are you Alec Lightwood?' a female voice asked. Alec turned around. A small woman stood before him. She had blonde curly hair, and wore a blue dress that looked like the kind of dress little mundane girls wore when they wanted to dress up like a princess.  
'You must be the good Faerie of the North,' Alec said, polite. He knew this woman was a banished faerie, but manners will also important to them, and Alec certainly didn't want to piss her off.  
'Jace Lightwood,' Jace introduced himself.  
'Call me Christabel, please,' she said, 'The Good Faerie of the North is so long. Shall we sit down? It's dinner time, so I say we eat something first.'  
'Of course, we'd like to,' Alec said, with a look at Jace, afraid he'd say something smart and stupid. Jace didn't. Probably because he had promised Alec not to. They sat down around a table, and soon the waitress, a faerie named Kaelie Whitewillow, handed them the menu, and Alec turned to the backside, where the human food was. So did Jace. The faerie, Christabel, looked in the middle, for the faerie food. A little later, Alec ordered a spaghetti, and so did Jace, and Christabel ordered some faerie food.  
'Nice place here, isn't it?' Christabel asked, 'Do you come here often?'  
Jace nodded. 'Yes, we do. But what we really want to know is where to find the Wicked Witch of the West. My friend Alec here has been tasked with finding here, as you must have heard, and we haven't found much useful information yet.'  
'Well, you must have heard she is in Los Angeles. But before I'll tell you about her location, I'll tell you who she is, what will be very useful, I'd say. The Wicked Witch of the West was born as Sawyer Thropp, a warlock with a green skin. Her half sister Rosaline was also a warlock, who had something in her legs as warlock mark and was therefore disabled. Sawyer always took care of her sister, while her mundane mother was going insane. She and her sister were recruited by the Wizard's order, just like I was several years later. The warlock trainer, miss Darcy, recognized Sawyer's power, and gave her special training, and she let me into her class because Sawyer asked her to. She wasn't a bad person then, she was actually nice, if you got to know here. When she got to meet the wizard, she decided to turn against him, and I haven't really seen her since, though I have tracked her location not so long ago.'  
She hated the Wizard, Alec deduced. But what was it she held against the Clave? The waitress returned with their food after that, and Alec and Jace both started eating first, and so did Christabel. When they were finished, Christabel gave her most useful information.  
'She lives in the most North point of Los Angeles, a little outside the city. She lives inside her own dimensional pocket, from this world you see a small beach hut, glamoured into a broken hut. Be prepared, from the inside, it is gigantic. I haven't been deep inside, but I've entered, yes, and I knew how big it has to be. She is a very strong warlock. Only Magnus Bane may be stronger than her, you guys know him, right?'  
Alec nodded, thinking of his boyfriend, who was now at his place in Brooklyn, where Alec would go after this meeting.  
'Then you may stand a chance,' Christabel said, and then she magically made appear some money, Alec wasn't sure where it came from, but he knew you couldn't just create things out of nothing. She left after that. Alec looked in the corner, where Simon and Maia were about to leave.  
'Will you pay for me? I'll return you the money if you want me to,' Alec said, because he needed to speak a few words with Simon.  
'That's okay,' Jace said, something he probably wouldn't do for anyone who wasn't him or Clary, or Izzy maybe. Alec stood up and walked towards Simon.  
'Can I have a few words with you?' he asked in a cold tone.  
Simon nodded. 'Something important?'  
'Something I need to talk to you about.'  
Alec walked outside, and Simon followed him, into an allyway where they wouldn't be bothered.  
'What is going on between you and Maia?' he asked.  
Simon looked confused, and Alec wasn't in a patient mood. 'What, you ignore me most of the time, and now you suddenly want to know about my relationships?'  
'I don't ignore you,' Alec said, 'Ignoring is on purpose. I just don't talk to you much. You say relationships. What kind of relationship do you have with Maia? It may be because of my lack of experience, but it seemed to me that what I just observerd was a date.'  
Simon looked trapped, that Alec was sure of. 'I guess you could say that. But we aren't officially dating or something. And neither are Izzy and I.'  
'Does Izzy know that?' Alec asked, because that was mostly what this was about. He knew Izzy messed around with guys a lot, dating two at the same time even, but that didn't mean guys were allowed to date her and a friend of hers at the same time.  
'She doesn't,' Simon said, 'Does it matter?'  
'Of course it matters!' Alec shouted, 'The fact is, that you are messing around with my sister, and I don't like it.'  
'I told you, we aren't officially dating,' Simon said, 'Izzy and I aren't, and Maia and I aren't. Is that enough information for you?'  
'You should tell her. Maybe she'll forgive you if you stop dating Maia, maybe she'll kill you, I don't know, but I don't want you to hurt my sister by letting her find out in some other way, she is already hurt enough.'  
Alec was refering to his little brother, Max, who had died during the Mortal war. Alec had soon stopped blaming himself, but Izzy hadn't. She was still punishing herself.  
'Alright, I'll try. But, don't stay this angry at me. I don't want to hurt Maia or Izzy, I just like them both very much, but I guess I shouldn't expect you to understand that.'  
'Because I'm gay?' Alec asked, a bit hurt now.  
'Because you're not in love with two people at the same time. Really, I'll try to explain it to them.'

Later that evening, Alec entered Magnus' appartment, where he lived most of the time. When he was inside and had shut the door, Chairman Meow walked towards him, and Alec caressed the small cat for a short time, and he took his shoes off and walked further inside. Magnus' place looked like some sort of Chinese temple today. It looked nice, Alec thought. He saw Magnus on the couch. His black hair was down, and reached his shoulders. He wore a long white shirt with a deep cut, and no pants, that Alec could see.  
'You're late,' Magnus said.  
'I told you, I had an appointment,' Alec said, 'At least I know where to find the witch now.'  
Alec sat down next to Magnus on the couch. 'That's one good thing, at least,' Magnus said, 'Will we start looking tomorrow?' Alec nodded. 'Will we go by portal?' he asked, 'Because going by car will take us at least two days, if someone is constantly driving, and I find that a bit long.'  
'I'll ask permission for a portal to Los Angeles. Mom is head of the Institute, so she can give me permision and send a fire message to the Los Angeles Institute.'  
After Alec was finished saying that, Magnus kissed him, wrapping his arms around Alec. Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus, and kissed him again. Magnus kisses, as usually, felt great, and Alec felt as if he was on fire, except that it didn't hurt. With every kiss, he wanted more kisses, though he had been extremely nervous to kiss Magnus after they just had started dating. That had changed, Alec wasn't as nervous as he used to be anymore. Therefore, he continued kissing Magnus, while he felt Magnus warm, muscled body against him.

Sawyer went to her werewolf cub that evening, as usual. It wasn't exactly tame, but it wasn't exactly wild either. She still hadn't found a cure, but she kept looking. Collin was helping her, as much as he could, but he was only a shadowhunter, and didn't know much about dark magic, except how to fight it with their runed weapons and seraph blades. Collin had moved to Los Angeles when he was eighteen, because she lived there, and he was often in her palace, though he had to keep it secret. To the Clave, she was an evil witch nobody could find. But Alec Lightwood and his friends would find her, because that was her plan. Both Christabel and Collin had a huge part in the plan, and Christabel had already done hers. She was preparing for them, because she needed allies, but they weren't supposed to kill her. She needed to temporary stop Magnus Bane from using magic. She fed the werewolf some raw meat. It was still small, Sawyer noticed it grew the way humans did. Female wolves were supposed to be fertil around this age, but the cub wasn't.  
'How is it going, darling?' a voice asked.  
She turned around and saw Collin stand in the doorway. 'Alright, I guess. She's healthy, but I can't reverse the spell. It was a baby when the spell was cast, and now two years old. It grows that way, but I don't know what will happen when we reverse it. If, I should say, I don't even know if it's possible.'  
'Maybe you could ask your father,' Collin suggested.  
This question surprised Sawyer, mostly because he was a shadowhunter. His duty was to kill demons, and they didn't like it when warlocks summoned demons, though it was not illegal unless you set it free. Sawyer had found out who her father was a year ago, and she didn't want to call on him again. It explained why she was so powerful, her father was a Prince of Hell. But he wouldn't help her, no. Not without a price, and she knew it was going to be something she couldn't give him. At best he asked some happy memories, but he could also ask her life, or someone elses life. It was said that greater demons like virgin sacrifices and Sawyer wasn't going to sacrifice a virgin to reverse the spell, because that would proof she was evil, and Sawyer didn't want to be evil.  
'Maybe I'll ask it, tomorrow,' Sawyer said, 'But I don't expect help. Maybe he knows what to do. Maybe the price will be something I can pay. But there will be a price, with demons like that there always is.'  
'I know,' Collin said, 'We learn we shouldn't summon demons. Well, ask a warlock to do it, because except for Valentine Morgenstern we can't. And we shouldn't summon angels either, because they don't like being summoned.'  
Sawyer nodded, she knew that. If summoning an angel was safe, she would have done it. She would have asked an angel to give her the power to reverse the evil spell, but angels didn't like being bothered. She had heard the story of Valentine, who summoned Raziel. That did not end well, for him.  
'Tomorrow,' she repeated, 'There is a chance. Maybe.'

Isabelle had packed some important stuff in a backpack, and carried most stuff she would need, and was ready to leave for Los Angeles. Alec and Jace were going, so she was going as well. Nobody could stop Clary, and where Clary went, Simon followed. Magnus, of course, was also coming. At first, Isabelle had found Magnus a bit annoying, but she had found from the beginning that Alec had to go out with him, because she wanted her brother to be happy, and Magnus had been someone who liked Alec. Now they loved each other, and Isabelle was happy for both of them.  
'You got permission for a portal?' Isabelle asked her brother.  
He nodded. 'Yes, we will be leaving as soon as Magnus gets here.'  
Isabelle checked her weapons. She carried to seraph blades in her belt, she wore her electrum whip as a bracelet, and she had two extra seraph blades in her backpack.  
'Hello everyone,' Magnus said, who came in together with Clary. He swiftly kissed Alec, which reminded Isabelle of married couples. Which reminded Isabelle of her plans about their wedding, because she was sure they would get married someday and Isabelle wanted to plan their wedding when it was finally going to happen. Jace was the next person to walk into the room, carrying so many weapons that Isabelle wondered if they didn't sting everywhere. Jace, Alec and Isabelle had once held a competition who could carry the most weapons. Jace had won, Alec had came third. Unless you counted twenty arrows as seperate weapons, in which case Alec would have won by far, but Jace decided they counted as one weapon.  
'Everyone ready?' she asked. They were at the sanctuary, so Simon could come as well. Vampires couldn't come into the Institute, except for the sanctuary.  
Magnus began drawing a portal, because he was far more skilled than Clary at drawing portals, and when he was finished, they all stepped through, and landed in Los Angeles close to the Institute, that lay very close to the beach and very close to their destination.  
A shadowhunter boy stood just before the door of the Institute, and Isabelle thought she had seen him before, but she didn't know his name. He stepped towards them, mostly towards Jace, who was acting as if he was the leader of the group.  
'My name is Collin Greenwood,' he introduced himself, 'I heard about your quest, and I'm going to help you. The Good Faerie of the North talked to me, because you would need my help. I know how to fight the protection, I've done it before, and I know what sort of protection is there.'  
'Well, I guess one person extra to help us is better than nothing,' Alec said, 'How many weapons are you carrying?'  
'My naginata, my primary weapon,' Collin listed, 'My second weapon, a sword. A spare sword, and a few seraph blades.'  
'You can come with us,' Alec decided. Isabelle looked fascinated at the weapons Collin was carrying. His primary weapon was the same weapon her mother used, and he carried swords and seraph blades.


	7. Chapter 7

'There's no protection,' Magnus noticed when they reached the house. Magnus had learned to sense magic, and there wasn't much here.  
'I guess the witch isn't powerful enough to keep it on all the time,' Collin suggested.  
Magnus didn't agree with that. A magical protection was something you could place there and something you could take away. You often didn't have to keep it going, though there were spells you had to keep going. Magnus expected at least some spells of the first category, but there were none.  
'Unless she uses a spell to keep me from sensing the magic,' Magnus muttered. He was prepared, but frightened as well. Not only for himself, but for Alec and his friends as well. Magnus wasn't a hero, he knew that, and he didn't want to die. He didn't want anyone to die. He softly touched Alec's hand, Alec was walking just next to him, armed with a bow, two dozens of arrows, a feather staff, and some seraph blades.  
'Maybe,' Collin said, 'I don't know that much about magic.'  
Magnus didn't believe him, he suspected Collin was lying, but it wasn't important.  
'So, let's go in?' Jace asked, 'Alec, shall I kill the witch or do you want the honour yourself?'  
'You do it,' Alec muttered, and that was something Magnus liked about his boyfriend: Alec wasn't cruel, and he didn't like killing things that weren't demons. In other words, beings with a soul, even if they were evil. Alec was kind and sensitive that way, while many other shadowhunters weren't, and Magnus found that attractive.  
'Let's go guys,' Isabelle suggested.  
'Wait,' Simon said immediately, 'What about a plan? We can't just walk in and expect to find her and kill her. In D&D, these kind of awesome witch castles are trapped, and you must find a way to avoid the traps.'  
Jace sighed, and so did Clary. 'This isn't D&D, Simon!'  
Magnus had to admit that people who made those sort of games tried to be realistic, but of course, they usually were wrong, and Clary was right that this wasn't one of Simon's idiotic games.  
'If we walk straight into a trap, then don't tell me I didn't warn you,' Simon said, and they walked in. They could just walk in, through the front door. The palace was nice looking, not cold and gray. Suddenly, the sensor Clary was carrying started making noise and exploded, Clary shied, and so did Magnus.  
'There's a very powerful demon in here,' Magnus said, 'Maybe even one we can't defeat.'  
'Maybe we should go back,' Alec suggested, 'If there's a demon we can't defeat, and the witch can control that demon, we're dead.'  
Magnus had to say he agreed with Alec on that, it was no use getting them all killed by a greater demon.  
'You can't go back,' Collin said.  
'Who made you the boss?' Jace said, 'Because I'm pretty sure Alec is the boss, and since he's my parabatai, that means I'm the boss.'  
'No, I mean, you can't go back. There's no going back. You can't get out unless she wants you to.'  
Alec was the first who had calculated everything. 'You work for her. That's why you wanted to help us, to make sure we wouldn't survive.'  
'Not entirely true,' Collin said, 'I don't want any of you dead. She wants you alive. But don't worry, she won't hurt you. Unless you hurt me, of course. She's protective that way, and strong. Kill me, and you'll all be dead. So let me give you a piece of advice: Listen to what she has to say, and don't make her angry.'  
'Is the Faerie working with you too?' Magnus inquired, 'Christabel something?'  
'Christabel, yes of course. She's Sawyer's closest friend.'  
Magnus tried to think it trough. He was wise, because he was old, but he wasn't the smartest within the group.  
'Why are those names so confusing?' Simon asked, 'Good Faerie of the North is supposed to mean that she is a good Faerie, and that she lives in the North. Like, you know, Glinda from the Wizard of Oz.'  
'Follow me,' Collin said, 'And for your information, she's more like Glinda from Wicked. And my Sawyer is more like Elphaba from Wicked, instead of the Wicked Witch in the original story.'  
Magnus followed Collin, together with the rest of the group, afraid of what would happen. He had seen the musical Wicked once, when it had come to Broadway first, but what did it say about the witch? Magnus felt guilt once again. Maybe she really wasn't evil, as she had said that night. She had come to him, and begged him for help. He had heard the rumours, that she had turned evil, and it had been confirmed by the Wizard, and he had believed it. He had sent her away, because he was afraid she could only cause trouble, that she was evil. It was one of the worst things he had ever done.  
'They are here, darling,' Collin called, and he opened a door. The demon was inside here, Magnus was sure. It was a prince of Hell, or maybe Lilith herself.  
'I should not have expected you to help me, father,' the witch hissed. She still had the same deep and strong voice she had when he knew her.  
'Ah, finally,' the demon said, and Magnus was shocked to recognize him, 'Magnus, I haven't seen you in a long time. Shouldn't you have protected your little sister a bit more? Finally, I see my last alive son and my last alive daughter together. Shame they both love a shadowhunter, my mortal enemie.'  
'I didn't know,' Magnus said. He really didn't know. He knew, of course, that Sawyer's father had to be powerful, because she was extremely powerful.  
'I can help you, Sawyer,' the demon said. His father, but Magnus didn't want to think of him that way. 'A blood sacrifice is enough. One kill for the changed warlocks and werewolves, to save them. The little redhead, maybe?'  
'Stay away from her,' Jace said immediately.  
'I won't!' Sawyer shouted at the demon, 'I banish you from this pentagram!'  
The demon disappeared, which was a relief to Magnus. He had only once summoned his father, to confirm his identity, and he was shocked by it.  
'Sorry about that,' she said, 'And about the fact that you guys are my prisoners now. But don't worry, I am not going to hurt you. It's just necessary, nothing I can do about it, but I need to free the warlock animals and the werewolf wolves.'

Alec was confused. The Wicked Witch of the West was Magnus' sister? They didn't really look like each other. The witch was impossibly tall, even taller than Izzy, and she wore the sort of boots Izzy would wear, and the sort of dress Izzy would wear, an elegant black knee lenght dress with a split in the skirt. She also wore a pointy hat like witches in fairy tales. Her skin was a light colour green, Clary could probably name the exact colour, but Alec couldn't. She wasn't ugly like the witch in the Wizard of Oz, she looked young, like a beautiful young woman but green. She looked like the sort of woman most straight men were attracted to. Except green.  
'You love her,' Clary said, looking at Collin.  
Collin nodded. 'I met her two years ago at a downworlder party, hosted by your warlock friend here, and I helped her afterwards. But she can tell you the whole story. She isn't wicked, the Wizard just told everyone that so the Clave would kill her for him, but the wizard is the Wicked one.'  
Alec was even more confused now, and he did no longer no who to believe. The witch and Collin and the wizard?  
'Explain it, then,' Alec said, blunt because he didn't know how else to be, and he wanted to know. He wanted to know who was good and who was evil, and who he had to fight.

'I will,' Sawyer said, 'But first, follow me.'  
Sawyer expected people who felt a bit comfortable would sooner trust her, so she took them to the living room. She didn't use it much, but her palace was gigantic and she made one anyway. Most of this was made with magic, and most of the furniture was stolen, she had to admit.  
'Sit down, please,' she said. The couch she had stolen over a year ago was big enough for six people, and the six prisoners sat down. Sawyer examined all of them. Magnus looked a lot like he had two years ago, except now he was completely in love with the shadowhunter boy, who sat next to him. Alec Lightwood, was his name. Next to Alec Lightwood sat his parabatai. Sawyer knew his name because he was one of the heroes of the Mortal War, a war Sawyer had in fact fought in, though no one but Collin knew. Jace Lightwood, was his name. Next to Jace Lightwood was the little redheaded girl. Sawyer didn't remember her name.  
'Would you introduce yourself, please?' she asked, 'My name is Sawyer Thropp. People call me the Wicked Witch of the West, but I prefer you to call me Sawyer or miss Thropp.'  
'You know me, I guess, Sawyer,' Magnus said. Sawyer nodded. 'I don't know if you're good or evil now,' Magnus continued, 'But whatever you are now, I'm sorry for what I did two years ago.'  
Sawyer just nodded. 'Alec,' the blue eyed boy said, 'I mean, Alec Lightwood.' He appeared shy to Sawyer, not the way shadowhunters usually were.  
'Jace Herondale,' Jace said, 'But I guess you know that?'  
Again, Sawyer nodded. 'Clary Fray, I mean Fairchild,' the little redheaded girl said.  
'I'm Isabelle Lightwood,' the pretty darkhaired girl said.  
'Simon Lewis,' the vampire boy eventually said. She had heard stories about him as well, the vampire who could walk in daylight. It was rare, extremely rare.  
'Good,' Sawyer said, 'It's easier to talk to people knowing their names. Now a hypothetical question: What would it be like of someone, say, some dark warlock, would transform a warlock you know, say Magnus, into an animal permanently. I'm guessing because of his catlike eyes, he would become a cat. Permanently.'  
'That's horrible,' Alec said immediately, and Sawyer was pleased at his confession of his love for the warlock. 'Are you going to do that to him?'  
Sawyer was sure she could see tears in the boy's eyes. 'Goodness, no,' she said, 'I would never do such thing. But Magnus and I aren't the only warlocks with power. The Wizard himself has no power. He's as close as an ifrit can get to a warlock, but he doesn't have power of his own. Magnus, who do you think, who works for the Wizard, could have that power?'  
'I have never heard of such power,' Magnus said, 'But I'm guessing the warlock in question would have to be very powerful.'  
'Quite right, Magnus,' Sawyer said, 'Therefore, I'm guessing miss Darcy is casting the spells. Christabel isn't close enough to the Wizard himself yet to find out, I'm afraid, but she's my main suspect. Of turning the warlocks, that is. And not just warlocks, also werewolves. Somehow some werewolves have been turned into wolves, permanently. I have been looking for two years already, yet I have never found the spell. I know the Wizard has to be stopped, but unfortunately, the Clave won't believe me, since they already believe the Wizard. When Collin told me you would come looking for me, I figured my best chance was trying to convince you to help me. I can't defeat the Wizard alone. I haven't been able to save those poor animals yet, but I'm still looking. The wizard no longer owns the most powerful spellbook in the world.'  
'I own the most powerful spellbook in the world,' Magnus said, 'And it has been hidden in the Wayland manor for years, by Jocelyn Fairchild.'  
'It's not the book of white I'm talking about,' Sawyer said, 'I mean the Grimmerie, the Dark book. The magic is much darker, and most spells I wouldn't use, but there are also good spells in it. The Grimmerie isn't easy to read, and I haven't read everything yet. I was hoping my father would know something, and he does, but he demands a human sacrifice, and I won't do that.'  
'I think,' Magnus said eventually, 'That I believe you.'

At the evening, after they'd eaten, Sawyer had pointed a few bedrooms for them, and Alec shared one with Magnus, as he was used to. Alec felt uncomfortable being a prisoner here, but he started to trust the witch; Sawyer. She seemed honest, but Alec wanted proof. He wanted to see the animals. He lay down in the bed with Magnus, Magnus' arms around him as they usually did. It felt comfortable for Alec, Magnus' body warmth against him. Unfortunately, it would be harder to sneak away this way, to look around, find proof Sawyer was honest. He let himself fall asleep, and trusted he would wake up at night, because he often did. He would wake up then, around three or four a.m., and feel Magnus' warm body against him, and then he would fall asleep again. Only this time he didn't intend to fall asleep again. Alec's weapons where in the room, and he planned to take his bow and a few arrows just in case, but not much more. Now he just let himself fall asleep against Magnus. When Alec woke up, Magnus still lay close to him, but no longer with his arms around him, and therefore Alec could come out of bed without Magnus noticing. He wasn't sure why he didn't want to tell Magnus, but he didn't. He was afraid Magnus would stop him. Alec only wanted to reassure himself that Sawyer was honest. He dressed himself, he slept wearing just his shirt and underwear, and he took his bow and arrows. He opened the door, as silent as possible, and slipped out. He wasn't sure exactly where he had to go. He walked around, silently, and got lost. It was so huge inside. Alec silently blamed himself for doing this. It was stupid, needing this proof, and wandering around at night to find it. He walked trough a door that was open, and there he saw a place for an animal to live. He saw a young dog, no it had to be a wolf. He was cautious, not sure if it was safe or not.  
'Sleepwalking, shadowhunter?' he heard a voice behind him. Alec turned around. Sawyer stood there. She didn't wear her high heeled boots, which was why he hadn't heard her. Alec knew how loud Izzy was unless she used soundless runes.  
'I'm sorry,' Alec said, 'I just wanted to...'  
'Find proof, I'm guessing?' Sawyer asked, 'I can hardly blame you, I expected one of you to come here, though I was guessing it would be one of the other shadowhunters. Not that I know you that well.'  
'I guess I'm the kind of person who needs reassurance,' Alec said, 'I'm really sorry.'  
'Don't be,' Sawyer said, 'I see you have found Raisa. She's a werewolf cub, but she can't change into a human. I'm not sure who put the spell there, or what spell it is. There are no spells to simply reverse spells like this, I have to find a completely different spell.'  
'I don't know much about this sort of magic,' Alec admitted, 'Maybe Magnus does. He owns the book of White.'  
Sawyer looked down. 'I still believe there's a way to reverse it, but I just don't know where to look. There are many spellbooks, the book of White and the Grimmerie are the most powerful books. I believe I now have access to both of them. But it will take time.'  
'Is this the only one?' Alec asked.  
'I am still planning to rescue the other animals, but I don't have time to take care of all of them. That's why I need help.'  
'I think I believe you,' Alec said, then.  
'Thank you,' Sawyer said, 'Your help will be appreciated. Now, I'll show you your way back to your room. You surely must be tired.'


	8. Chapter 8

'Where have you been?' Magnus asked when Alec came back.  
'Walking,' Alec said, while taking his shoes and his pants off so he could get back in the bed again. Alec felt sleepy, which he guessed was what happens when you get up in the middle of the night.  
'Alec, I wook up and you were gone!' Magnus said, and Alec knew he was serious.  
'I'm sorry,' Alec said.  
'Don't be sorry,' Magnus said, more gentle, 'Just tell me why you were gone walking around. Didn't you get lost?'  
Alec sighed unhearable, and went back into the bed.  
'I wanted to be sure she was honest,' Alec confessed, 'So I walked around, and I found the werewolf she saved. She caught me, and she told me about what happened to the werewolf, and her research, and then she pointed me back here.'  
'Alright,' Magnus said, 'But you have worried me. And I want something from you in return.'  
Alec knew he wasn't as serious as he had been before. Alec lay down, his head on the pillow, not entirely sure what exactly Magnus wanted.  
'Okay,' Alec said, knowing it was no use going against it. He had worried Magnus, he should have left a note at least. Magnus kissed him, and Alec let him. He kissed back, and he realised what Magnus wanted, and that he himself wanted it too.  
'Next time, tell me, okay, darling?'  
Alec nodded obediently, and then Magnus started kissing him again, and with his hands on him. Alec realised he liked where this was going.

The next morning Sawyer had baked pancakes, as a peace offering, and she had a bottle of fresh blood from the hospital blood bank for the vampire. The group came to the eating hall, all dressed, and looking a bit sleepy, like people usually did just after waking up.  
'Are those pancakes?' the blond boy, Jace, asked.  
Sawyer nodded. 'I use some magic to turn them around, but I do most of the cooking in the mundane way,' she said.  
Jace looked a bit dubious at the pancakes, and ate one.  
'Wow, these pancakes are actually good,' Jace said, 'I'm sorry, but I have a bit of an issue trusting food cooked by tall young women who wear black dresses and high heels.'  
'What were you saying, Jace?' Isabelle inquired a bit angry.  
Sawyer concluded that Isabelle couldn't cook and Jace was referring to that.  
'I said that she is very good at baking pancakes, something I didn't expect from someone they call the Wicked Witch of the West.'  
'That's what I thought you were saying,' Isabelle said.  
Alec and Magnus walked in last. Sawyer offered Simon the bottle of blood. 'I'm not sure if you're hungry,' she said, 'But it seems wise to offer some blood, in case you are. I'd prefer if you didn't eat me or any of the other people here.'  
'Thank you,' Simon said and he opened the bottle and drunk from it. 'Is this human blood?' he asked.  
Sawyer nodded. Suddenly everyone looked at her in a frightened way, as if she were some sort of demon. 'From the hospital,' she clarified, 'From someone who voluntiraly gave some blood for other people, or in this case, a vampire. I don't kill people.'  
'What about those two shadowhunters they found that?' Jace inquired, 'Alec said that's why we were supposed to find you, but since you're not really evil, I'm guessing you didn't kill them.'  
'It was Collin who protested against the hunt, saying we couldn't prove she murdered them,' Alec suddenly said, 'Collin knew, of course, she hadn't. Isn't that true?'  
'Exactly,' Sawyer said, 'Collin would try anything to clear my name, but I asked him not to. They might think he's crazy, they might consider him a traitor, and I need him to be one of the Clave. I did not kill any shadowhunters. Collin told me about them, and I suspect the Wizard had them killed.'  
'So the Wizard is behind all this,' Isabelle said, 'Making us run around to find the Wicked Witch of the West who isn't really our enemie, while the real enemie is getting ready to attack, when we don't expect them.'  
'I'm the most powerful warlock from the last few centuries,' Sawyer, 'One of the most powerful warlocks alive, and I don't cooperate with him, of course he wants me dead. Alec, I think if you leave here, you should keep your lover safe. But not too much about the serious stuff before Christabel and Collin get here, Collin's still sleeping and Christabel will arive soon. Have you slept well?'  
Clary, Isabelle and Simon nodded. 'Well, alright, until I woke up in the middle of the night and heard certain sounds from the room next to ours I'd rather not heard. I guess it's true what they say: quiet people are usually the loudest in bed.'  
Alec turned around as red as a tomato, and Sawyer realised this wasn't really a conversation she wanted to take part in, so she sat down and started eating.  
'What are you talking about?' Alec asked.  
'I'm talking about last night,' Jace said.  
'Stop it,' Alec said.  
'That's not what you said last night,' Jace said, smiling. Sawyer didn't look up. Collin walked in, dressed in a black as usual. 'Who said what last night?' Collin asked confused.  
'Nothing that interests you,' Magnus said quickly, what spared her another awkward conversation. The next person to walk in was Christabel, dressed in a pink dress, and a pink flower in her blond curly hair.  
'Good morning, guys,' she said, 'I see you found it, and from the look of things you figured out the truth.  
She looked at all Sawyer's guests, or prisoners. 'You're Alec Lightwood, right?' she asked, 'You are quite handsome, but you should really wear something blue, in the same colour as your eyes.'  
Sawyer laughed. When someone could do something to look better, Christabel hád to tell that person. It was Christabel who had helped her find her own style, wich was pointy hats, black dresses and black high heeled boots.  
'I bought you a nice blue scarf when we were in Paris,' Magnus told him, 'Shall I make it appear here?'  
'You really should,' Christabel said, 'And you, Clary, you're so small. You shouldn't wear those flat shoes, but some high heeled boots instead, to make you look taller.'  
'I can't walk in high heeled boots,' Clary said simply.  
'I can teach you,' Christabel offered. Christabel had taught Sawyer how to wear in high heeled boots, but there was no time for that now. Luckily, Christabel realised that as well. 'But now's not the time.' The blue scarf Magnus had talked about appeared, and Magnus put it around Alec's neck. It wasn't the sort of scarf to keep out the cold, but the kind of scarf you wore to look nice.  
'The Wizard is making war plans,' Christabel said, 'But I think he doesn't trust me, at least not enough to share the details. He knows Sawyer and I were friends, but he doesn't know we still are. Still, he probably doesn't want to risk Sawyer finding out, he fears her. Sawyer, Collin and I have been trying to stop him for some time. Collin spies on the Clave for us, though he is no enemie of the Clave and neither are we, and I spy on the Wizard. Sawyer practices her magic and is looking for a cure. If she can cure all the warlocks and werewolves the wizard captured and changed, we will have a lot of allies. He kidnaps a lot of warlocks and werewolves, even from packs.'  
'Didn't Luke mention anything about werewolves from his pack disappearing?' Clary asked.  
'Mom investigated, but didn't find anything and suspected they had just left the pack,' Isabelle added, 'Could they be kidnapped by the Wizard?'  
'We should send Luke a message,' Clary said, 'His pack will be your ally.'  
'We should inform the Clave as well,' Alec said, 'The problem is that we don't have much proof that we're telling the truth. I think I should send mom a fire message, she heads the New York Institute.'  
Sawyer liked this, for two years she had only had Collin and Christabel, no one else who believed her. Now she had four shadowhunters, another warlock who also happened to be her brother, and a daylighter vampire, and they were trying to get a whole werewolf pack to be her ally, and even the Clave.  
'I think I should contact the Spiral Labyrinth,' said Magnus, 'It's hard to find the cure on your own. Of course, we could use both your book and the book of White, but it sure would help. An old friend of mine is there, I think I should send Tessa a message.'  
'That's great,' Sawyer said, 'Send these messages as soon as possible. In mean time, I'll go out.'  
'And do what, exactly?' Jace inquired.  
'Train my skills at air surfing and other flying techniques, very useful. I used a spell on myself to fly two years ago, and I've been able to fly ever since.'

Alec was sending a fire message to his mother, a typical way of communication between shadowhunters.

_Dear mom,_  
_I am sending you this from the castle where Sawyer Thropp lives, also known as the Wicked Witch of the West. However, this isn't the right name for her. Sawyer isn't evil, and she isn't the Claves enemie. She hasn't killed those two shadowhunters either. You sure must have heard about werewolves and warlocks disappearing. According to Sawyer, the Wizard, head of the downworlder organisation called the Wizard's Order, has abducted those werewolves and warlocks, and turns them into pure animals, wolves or the animal the warlock resembles most. Sawyer hasn't figured out yet for what purpose, but she believes he wants to destroy the Clave. Sawyer wants to stop him, but she needs allies, and since it's the Clave she's trying to protect I think the Clave would help her. I hope to hear from you soon, and I hope that and alliance between Sawyer and the Clave will protect us and the world ,_  
_Love_  
_Alec_

_It wasn't a very formal message, but that didn't really matter. He was sure his mother would take his message seriously, but he was afraid the Clave wouldn't. In council meetings, Alec got the idea people didn't really take him that serious, and Alec wondered i f that was because he was young, he had turned eighteen not that long ago, or because they thought something was wrong with him._  
_After sending the message, he turned to Magnus, who had just finished sending a message to the Spiral Labyrinth. _  
_'I hope the Clave will listen,' Alec said, 'They're stubborn that way, and besides they are prejudiced, and might not believe it because of me.'_  
_'Your mother will believe it, won't she?' Magnus asked. _  
_'I guess so,but that isn't enough,' Alec said, 'She leads the conclave, but for an alliance like this, she needs the Clave.' _

_Dear Luke,_

_I know you didn't think it was a good for me to go and find the witch, but it turns out things aren't the way people think they are. First, and most important, Sawyer isn't wicked, not really. She turned against the real enemie, and is called wicked for that, because no one knows who the real enemie is, except Sawyer. You noted the Institute about the missing werewolves from your pack, and Maryse couldn't find anything that pointed towards abduction, so she said they had probably run away. However, now that I've learned about Sawyer, we think the Wizard have captured them. According to Sawyer, the Wizard can take the human out of a werewolf or warlock, turning them into an animal. For what purpose, Sawyer isn't sure, and she's still working on a way to reverse the spell. Sawyer needs allies, and since you're a pack leader, I was hoping you could form some sort of Alliance with her. _

_Love,_  
_Clary_

Clary had send the message as a fire message, and shortly after Luke had send a message back to her. She planned to show it to Sawyer after reading it herself. Jace was with her, and so was Simon. Alec and Magnus were both sending their own message, and she had no idea where Isabelle was.

_Dear Clary,_

_Thanks for your message. I must say your information surprised me, but I trust your judgement and therefore I believe you. If the Wizard indeed captured those werewolves, then it is important that we defeat him. I'm not sure what happens after the spell you described, but if the wolves that no longer are humans still posess werewolf strength, speed and healing, then it is a possibility that the wizard is trying to create an army. As for the warlocks, my guess would be he merely tries to take out powerful enemies, and hopes he can still use the animals in some way. I am sending my second and third in command, because it is better for me to stay here right now, protect the pack, and warn other downworlders. You can expect Bat Velasquez and Maia Roberts this afternoon, and they will discuss an alliance. I will also talk to Maryse about this matter, though I assume she has gotten a message as well?_

_Love, _  
_Luke_

Clary quickly replied that Alec had indeed send Maryse a message, and then she looked with pity at Simon. 'I'm dead,' he said, 'I'm so dead.'  
'Hmm, not sure,' Jace said, 'I'm not sure Izzy cares that much, she often dates multiple guys at the same time. I'm not so sure about the werewolf girl, though, she might try to kill you.'  
'Wait a second, how do you know about this?' Clary asked Jace, not remembering telling Jace about Simon's dating problem.  
'Alec and I saw Maia and Simon together,' Jace explained, 'Not so long ago, I believe Alec threatened to kill him or something if he didn't tell Izzy soon.'  
'Alec said I should tell her and try to hurt her as little as possible,' Simon corrected him, 'He never said anything about killing me, except that Isabelle might kill me if she finds out.'  
'Just tell her,' Clary advised, 'Go find her, now, and tell her, and apologise, and everything. Make sure she doesn't kill you, and then when Maia arrives and isn't busy with discussing politics, you can tell her. But if you don't tell Isabelle right now, and Maia arrives, they might both kill you, and then you would be dead twice.'  
'Since he's technically already dead, he would be dead trice,' Jace added not very helpful.  
'Okay, okay, I'll go tell her,' Simon said, frustrated, and he left.

Magnus walked trough the hallway, looking for Sawyer. She had been outside, but might be back already. Tessa had send a message back, she would arrive soon. Clary had told him Luke's second and third in command would arrive, and Alec was waiting for another message. Magnus wanted to see the animal, try to find out what sort of magic had been used. Suddenly, she came in trough the window, flying.  
'There you are!' he said, 'I thought I'd never find you. I want to investigate some things about the young wolf, find out the type of magic.'  
'That's alright!' she called back from above, 'You can borrow the Grimmerie, if you want to.'  
'Is that a good idea?' Magnus asked her, 'I mean, I have never in my almost four hundred years heard of that book, and I'm not sure it is safe to use that magic. We have one of the most powerful demons as a father, we're probably the most powerful warlocks still alive, but we have limits!'  
Magnus knew using magic could be dangerous, some magic could seriously harm the person who was using it, and Magnus was always careful with spells that weren't in a famous back. Of course, Magnus could invent spells, but he had to be careful. For example, he had invented the way Clary's vision of the shadow world had been blocked.  
'I don't!' Sawyer called back, in a melodic voice, 'I'm trough accepting limits, 'cause someone says they're so. Some things I cannot change, but 'till I try I'll never know!'  
She was singing, now. Did she do that often? Magnus loved music, mostly the sort of music he played at his party, but he didn't sing in coversations. He wasn't a bad singer, and he sang sometimes, but not when talking to people.  
'It might be dangerous, Sawyer!' Magnus said, 'You must always be careful with magic.'  
'I know,' she said, 'I am careful, but I know the Grimmerie can be trusted. It's my book, and I saved it from the wizard. Are you afraid to use this powerful book? Because I'm not. Even if it turns out dangerous, I have used its power to protect this world. Shadowhunters die all the time too, you know. I'm not afraid to take that risk if it's for a good cause, and that's why I'm the one high in the sky, defying gravity!'  
The last part she sang again. Wasn't it from the same song, from that musical? Magnus remembered, he had seen it once, because it was about a witch with a green skin, something he found quite realistic. Sawyer was a witch with a green skin as well.  
'You have a point,' Magnus had to admit, thinking about how the shadowhunters always put themselves in danger. He never liked it much when Alec was hunting, but he knew Alec was careful, and Magnus had learned to accept that Alec was a shadowhunter, and therefore killed demons.  
'So, do you want to borrow my Grimmerie?'

The Grimmerie was a very interesting spell book, full of spells Magnus had never heard of. Yet, he had no idea how to reverse the spell. Not yet, at least. Magnus had summoned the Book of White as well, that book specialized in binding and unbinding spells, and it was possible that a binding spell was the solution to this problem, but it would be a very special form of binding spell, binding and unbinding the human. But in this case, it wasn't the soul but the human body. He suspected a warlock turned would also lose his or her magic, but he wasn't sure if the human soul remained.  
'I should find that out,' Magnus muttered.  
'Find out what?'  
Magnus turned around, he saw Alec standing in the doorway.  
'I must figure out exactly what kind of spell is used,' Magnus said, 'Sawyer isn't entirely sure about that either, she couldn't find out if the human soul remains or not. If not, we should start with binding the human soul back to the animal.'  
'Well, this one is a puppy,' Alec said, 'But if you had an older animal, an adult, you could try to communicate and find out if the human is still there.'  
'The problem is that Emerald city is a fortress,' Magnus said, 'It will be extremely hard to break into Emerald city.'  
'You've been in here for hours,' Alec said, 'Won't you take a break? I know using your magic is exhaustive.'  
Magnus got up, he felt tired. He had used a lot of magic, trying to read the sort of magic that had been used on the young werewolf. Even though Sawyer had probably done that already, Magnus needed to be able to feel it himself to help.  
'Has anyone arrived already?' Magnus asked.  
Alec shaked his head. 'But according to Clary, two werewolves from Lukes pack can arrive anytime from now.'  
'Same goes for Tessa,' Magnus said, 'She can help us with the spell as well, if we get hold of something that belongs to the wizard, she can change in him, and then she may be able to reach his mind and find out what he did.'  
Magnus thought about it. Tessa hadn't been able to reach Mortmain, but he had protected himself from her power, maybe the Wizard hadn't. He didn't know about her power, did he? Or consider her a threat.  
Alec smiled. Alec rarely smiled, but Magnus loved the way his beautiful blue eyes lit up when he did. Magnus often though Alec had to smile more often. He stood up and closed the book.

* * *

AN: This is where I am now writing, so updates will follow less frequently, but I'll try to be frequent. Though I will be going on vacation from saturday for three weeks, and there won't be much then.


	9. Chapter 9

Simon was dead, he was sure now. He was looking for Izzy, and he had to tell her about Maia. But what was he supposed to say? I'm really sorry, but I'm sort of dating another girl as well, and you know her?  
'Clary, I need your backup,' Simon said.  
'Alright,' Clary answered, 'But this is your mess and you'll have to fix it.'  
'I thought you were on our side,' Simon exclaimed.  
'I am on your side,' Clary said, 'And I'll be there, and talk when you need me to, but I can't do the talking for you, you have to be brave and face her yourself. And Maia after that.'  
Simon sighed. Clary walked after him, and when he finally found Izzy, he was at a loss of words.  
'Izzy, I have to tell you something,' he said, and suddenly his feet seemed very interesting. He really liked Izzy, but she was also terrifying sometimes.  
'What is it, Simon?' she asked.  
'Well... I'm seeing someone else too,' Simon blurted out. Everything was coming out now, and he felt relief, as long as it lasted. After he was finished talking, Izzy would be mad. 'I'm really sorry, but after I came back from Idris, she and you both started calling me, and it started as doing friend things, and then you both wanted to do boyfriend-girlfriend things. And I like you both and now I don't know what to do anymore and I was too afraid to tell you or her.'  
He was finished, and looked up for one second, to find that Izzy didn't look angry.  
'You should have told me,' she said, 'I really don't care if you date multiple people at the same time, so do I. But you should tell them, because you'll have to make up your mind someday, when it gets serious, and you can't get serious with two girls. Who is this girl anyway?'  
Izzy wasn't mad, not really, but she wasn't happy with it either. 'Maia Roberts, you know, the werewolf girl from Luke's pack.'  
'Maia who is coming here to represent Luke?' Isabelle asked, and now she sounded angry.  
Simon nodded. 'Why didn't you tell me?' she asked, now suddenly angry, 'If I didn't know her, that would have been okay, but you can't date two girls who know each other without telling them!'  
Izzy was like that sometimes, calm one moment, and angry the next.  
'I'm sorry, I didn't know! I don't have much experience in dating, and I don't know all those dating rules everyone seems to know,' Simon said.  
'I get that you don't have much experience, but really Simon, that one seems obvious, doesn't it?' Izzy asked. 'Right now I don't feel like talking to you, I'm going to look for Alec.'

Isabelle walked away. She was mad at Simon. Of course, she had dated other boys too, but not boys Simon knew. Didn't Simon know those dating rules? Right now, she didn't want to talk to him, she only wanted to talk to Alec. Isabelle had never liked needing other people. She liked it when people needed her, but needing people she always hated. She was the strong Isabelle Lightwood, not afraid of anything. There were only two people in her life to whom she'd showed she needed them: Alec and her mother. Alec needed her too, and that made it easier. Alec had come to her when he found out he was gay and in love with Jace, he had told her there was no one else he could trust with that, not even Jace. Isabelle had liked that, Alec only trusting her with that information, and when she really needed someone, she went to Alec. Therefore, she was looking for him now. That wasn't easy though, this castle was huge. Isabelle didn't know how Sawyer had gotten it, and suspected it was somehow magically constructed, hidden in some pocket dimension. Alec was wandering around himself, and that's how she found him.  
'Izzy, are you alright?' Alec asked. Despite all her self-control, Alec had always been able to read her. Alec was particularly good at reading people, for one, and they had been close from a very young age, since there were no other kids around.  
'I don't know,' she said, 'Can I talk to you?'  
'Sure,' Alec said, 'Is it something Simon said or did?'  
Isabelle looked at her brother. 'Do you know something?'  
'What happened?' he only asked.  
'Simon told me he was seeing Maia as well, and I'm mad at him. I think I can forgive him, I mean, he's an idiot, but he should have told me earlier,' Isabelle explained, 'How did you know it had to do with Simon?'  
'I knew Simon was dating Maia,' he said, 'A few days ago I saw them together, and I told Simon he should tell you himself.'  
Isabelle imagined Alec telling Simon something like that. She guessed Alec had threatened him. Alec had given up threatening every guy she dated long ago, because he couldn't keep track of all of them, and it was useless anyway. Usually, she dumped the guy herself when he started to bore her.  
'It's just that I'm mad that he's such an idiot,' she finished, 'But I won't kill him or something. And you really shouldn't kill him either.'  
Alec nodded. 'I wasn't planning to.'  
'Good,' she said, 'Now I'm going to wait for Maia and tell her not to kill Simon.'  
Isabelle was frustrated, but would forgive Simon, but she wasn't so sure about Maia, and she prefered to have Simon back in one piece in the end. She knew how dangerous angry werewolves could be.

Christabel had gone to a secret meeting and just returned. Sawyer had made tea for everyone, including the vampire, who could drink most drinks.  
'The Wizard has a new plan,' Christabel said, 'A terrible plan. He has only a small army of changed werewolves, and some vampires and warlocks. I suspect he has more allies than it seems, but I don't know who else there are.'  
'What about the Seelie Court?' Jace asked, 'Are they on our side or their side?'  
'I don't know,' Christabel said, 'I am a banned faerie. I have no contact with the Court, or my aunt the Queen. But I know this: If she expects the Wizard to win this war, they will side with him. That's what the Queen is like. The Wizard hates shadowhunters, because they never helped him, and make him follow their laws. He hates most werewolves for siding with them, the Praetor Lupus is their enemie. He hates the warlocks that don't side with him, because they looked down on him. The Wizard is immortal, for he is half demon, but he has no magic, he is an ifrit, but as close to a warlock as an Ifrit could be. He has miss Darcy to do most of his magic, she taught both Sawyer and me. To gain an army, he made a deal with Lilith.'  
Sawyer was shocked, and so were the shadowhunters. 'Who's Lilith?' Clary asked.  
'She's the first demon,' Alec explained, 'Legend says she was Adam's first wife, but wouldn't obide God, and was therefor cursed. She was banned to Edom, and could no longer have children. Her blood dropped on the ground there, and because she hated God, the drops of blood transformed into demons. She is in a way mother of all demons, and is a very powerful demon, and very patient. But what is it she wants?'  
'Her son,' Christabel said, 'She and her son will provide the Wizard with an army, but her son died. Murdered in the Mortal war. The Wizard must raise him, and he can, because of old laws. When someone on the side of Heaven is brought back from the dead, someone on the side of Hell may be brought back as well, but the counterweight must be there. It won't be easy, he needs two people, the Daylighter Simon Lewis, and the young shadowhunter brought back from the dead, Jonathan Herondale. Then the Wizard can raise Jonathan Morgenstern.'  
All Sawyer's guests looked shocked. She had never met Jonathan Morgenstern, but she had heard of him. How he had pretended to be Sebastian Verlac, and had fooled the Lightwoods and the Penhallows, and then had murdered the Lightwoods' youngest son. She had fought in the Mortal war, paired with Collin. She had used glamours to stop people from finding her identity, and fought Valentine's demons.  
'Wait a second,' Isabelle said, then, 'What did she mean when she said Jonathan Herondale was brought back from the dead? That's Jace, right?'  
'Jace?' Alec asked, 'What does she mean?'  
'I died. Valentine killed me before he raised the angel. The angel killed Valentine, and he offered Clary a favour, and she asked for me, and now I'm alive again. That's what she means. And it appears that Lilith knows. We have to make sure the Wizard and Lilith can't bring Sebasian back. If I kill myself-'  
'No!' Alec screamed, 'I know you believe in sacrificing yourself, but that is madness. I'm not going to let you just kill yourself, forget it. And I know Izzy and Clary won't let you either.'


	10. Chapter 10

AN: I know the name of Magnus' and Sawyer's father, but to avoid spoilers I don't mention the name, because not everyone has read City of Heavenly Fire yet. Also, if you don't know Wicked, it's a musical, and therefore I use few of the songs. At the beginning I mentioned the Wizard and I. The song Christabel sings when she and Sawyer become friends and she tries to make Sawyer popular is called "Popular", and the song Sawyer sings when she first used the levitation spell on herself to escape from the Wizard is called "Defying Gravity". The spell in this chapter is made up by me, and might suck because of that.

'What's that noise?' Simon suddenly asked.  
Sawyer knew vampires had better hearing than other kinds, she didn't hear the sound herself. 'I'll take a look. Where does it come from?'  
'Over there, I think,' Simon pointed.  
Sawyer walked away, and closed the door of the room, after drinking some of her tea. She heard something herself then too, it was coming from outside. She walked trought the door, onto the balcony. She had two of them, actually. Then she saw them. A lot of people. She recognized poor Jamie, Clockwork Jamie. She saw a shadowhunter girl, which seemed odd. She wore particular shoes. Rosies shoes! The others were... Vampires? It was dark enough for vampires. Some warlocks. It wasn't an army, not really. More like a... witch hunt. She used a simple spell to hear them better.  
'Kill the witch!' she heard.  
'Bring her to the Wizard, dead or alive!'  
'He'll give us everything we want if we kill her!'  
This was a witch hunt. And trouble, a lot of trouble. They had found her, and there was no other way out. Except...  
'Of course,' she said to herself, 'We have to fly.'  
She ran back to the room. 'We're being invaded! The Wizard's order!' Sawyer shouted, 'Quick. Alec, take your bow and arrows, and defend the place from the balcony here, take that door, turn left, and first door on your right, easy to find! Collin, defend the lower balcony, some of them might be able to climd that. Maia, Bat, Isabelle, Jace, Clary, defend the front door. Christabel, go with Alec, hide him as his arrows from the sight, make sure they don't recognize you. Magnus, Simon, I need you here, I want to use the carpet, but we'll have to move all the furniture to do that.'  
Everyone listened to her, and ran off. Sawyer started using magic, moving the furniture, and so did Magnus, and Simon helped moving some things, using his vampire super strenght. Sawyer was actually a bit surprised that everyone listened to her, but this was an emergency, and her plan sounded logical, at least. An archer could protect the castle from the top balcony, someone with a long weapon could defend best from the lower balcony, and the other three shadowhunters could best protect the door. When the carpet was free, she got on.  
'Quick, find Collin, Clary, Isabelle and Jace, I'll go to Christabel and Alec, and then we'll go, on the carpet. I can make it fly, all these sort of objects fly with me.'  
Sawyer had used broomsticks, they were practical, but not with this much people. No, they needed the large carpet. Large objects were harder, but she had to.

Alec had ran to the balcony, with his bow and arrows, and had started shooting. He didn't have much arrows, so he was careful to shoot the most dangerous enemies, and to shoot them at the most deadly places. There were very few werewolves, Alec saw, mostly warlocks and vampires. He shot a few, and then Christabel came up.  
'I'm going to help you,' she said, 'I'll make your arrows invisible to them.'  
Alec nodded, too busy to say much, but grateful. He shot another vampire when a warlock shot a spell, Alec wasn't sure what kind, up to him. Alec ducked, but te balcony exploded. Some bits of stone hit him, but he felt okay. Nothing that hadn't happened to him before. Part of the balcony was gone, and Alec was a bit afraid of the height now, but not that much that it influenced him. He was used to fear, and didn't let it bother him too much. Unless it were spiders.  
'You alright?' He asked Christabel. Her pink dress was dirty, but she didn't seem wounded, not that he could see.  
'Yes,' she said in a high pitched voice. She wasn't used to battles, Alec noticed.  
'Stay behind me,' he said. Alec wasn't much used to inexperienced people in battle, except Clary before she had started training, and he didn't like it much. He liked fighting with Jace and Izzy, people he was used to, not people who didn't know how to fight. When finally Sawyer arrived, she was on a flying carpet, with Izzy, Jace, Clary, Magnus, the two werewolves, Simon, and Collin.  
'Get on, quick!' Sawyer called. Alec tried to jump on, and Jace and Izzy helped him to get on. Sawyer was standing, carefully controlling the carpet, and the rest of them were sitting, holding each other and the points of the carpet. Sitting on a flying carpet wasn't easy, he found out. Christabel got on after him, and sat down too.  
'There are so many!' Maia exclaimed, 'Are they all in the Wizard's order?'  
'There are much more of them,' Sawyer said, 'These are only a few. Not his real army, his wolves.'  
They were being shot at, Alec suddenly realised. With magic, but also with arrows. Magnus was mostly holding those off, he and Sawyer were the only ones that could, and Sawyer was too busy controlling the carpet. They were going fast, very fast, and Alec found it scary, but he controlled his fears, and didn't show it. He was a shadowhunter, after all.  
'The carpet's on fire!' Isabelle shouted, and she tried to put it out, but only Magnus' magic succeeded. A part of the carpet had been burned up already, but luckily not much.  
'Again!' Collin shouted, and suddenly, he fell. Alec saw it happening, all in one second. Magnus stopped the fire, but the part Collin was sitting on, was gone, and he fell. The werewolf boy tried to grab him, but failed, and Collin fell.  
'COLLIN!' Sawyer screamed. She send some spells after him, and the carpet started falling down.  
'Oh no, I can't do this much at the same time!' she shrieked, 'Magnus, please protect Collin, make sure he lands safely!'  
No one stated the obvious, that if Collin fell, he'd be surrounded by enemies. 'We're going to crash,' Sawyer warned them, 'There are too much holes in the carpet!'  
Sawyer let a lot of magic go, and tried to let them land safely. Alec had only three arrows left, and luckily two seraph blades and a runed dagger. They wouldn't be able to fight all of them, but with some luck they would be able to get away. Alec took a seraph blade and the dagger in his hand, ready to find when they landed. When they were almost at the ground, they slid off the carpet.  
'Where's Collin?' Sawyer screamed.  
'Somewhere here!' Jace shouted, 'I'll try to find him!'  
Alec followed Jace, covering his back as he was used to. The battle was messy, and they were lost between these downwolders. They weren't fighters, not really, but there were so many. Way too many.

Sawyer had found her way to the edge of the people, with Christabel, but the others, more experienced fighters, were lost in the crowd. Sawyer summoned her book, and flipped trough it, looking for a spell she had seen before. She knew that that was the best thing to do. A very powerful one, one that could go wrong easily, but was her only option now. She started chanting. Most spells from the Grimmerie involved chanting, a chanting that, according to the Prince of Hell, was instinctive to his children. Her and Magnus.  
'Anima maste kale kale, anima maste caldapess! Anima maste kale kale, anima maste caldapess!' She repeated the words over and over again, moving her hands, and then, all the people who were her enemies disappeared. She had banned them from the area, and they were gone. She suddenly felt tired, spells took a lot of energy, especially powerful spells like these. She took notice of everyone. Alec and Jace, covering each other, holding weapons. Both looked wounded, she saw blood, but they didn't seem in pain. Isabelle with her electrum whip, together with Clary. The two werewolves, Maia and Bat. Simon, somewhere behind them. Christabel was next to her. Two people were missing. Magnus, and Collin. Collin. Collin. Oh no, not Collin. Where could they be, where could they possibly be? Of course, she knew. To Emerald City, to the prison there. She had never seen the prison, but heard of it. It was where they kept the animals. Professor Brown, her old teacher who was now a goat. He made her see how evil the Wizard was. But what would they do to them? To Magnus? And to Collin? Of course she knew what they would do to Magnus. Probably not kill him, no. Well, maybe they would, but Sawyer expected something else. But what about Collin? They would kill him, wouldn't they?  
'Collin!' she screamed at last, sounded partly melodic as she often did when she was emotional.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: This part is also a song, the song No Good Deed from Wicked. I know this chapter isn't long, but I wanted it to be only No Good Deed, so you don't know what happens next, until I have written that (I haven't yet started it)

'I have to go!' Christabel said, 'I promise, I'll try to save him!'  
Then she disappeared, back to the Wizard, hoping to save Collin.  
Sawyer's magic started music, a music that was very familiair to her, one she could sing to. Now, though, was different. She screamed his name again. 'Collin!'  
She looked through her book, she needed to find something to protect him. She caused this, it was all her fault! But she needed to save him, she needed to try. She recognized one word, protection. What harm could it do? What if she caused another disaster, it couldn't make things much worse, could it?  
'Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen,' she chanted, 'Eleka nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen.'  
Then the music took over, and instincts. The instinct to sing her feelings, to add them to the spell, to protect Collin against any harm.  
'Let his flesh not be torn, let his blood leave no stain,' she sang, 'Though they hurt him, let him feel no pain.'  
She took breath and continued. 'Let no curse ever work, and however they try to destroy him, let him never die, let him never die!'  
She repeated once more the spell. 'Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen, eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka- eleka!'  
She didn't feel the spell, not the way she was used to. Sure, something was happening, but she didn't feel Collin. Where was he? Already dead?  
'What good is this chanting? I don't even know what I'm reading!' she sounded frustrated, but was still singing. It was her way of showing her emotions. When Collin first told her he loved her, she had sung As Long As You're Mine to him. No she was starting No Good Deed. Because it seemed so true, right now.  
'I don't even know what trick I ought to try,' she continued. 'Oh Collin where are you?' When singing then, she ran a few steps to the others, but not really close to them.  
'Already dead or bleeding?' It was possible, so possible. Could that be why she didn't feel the spell working? Because they had killed him as soon as they noticed Collin was with them.  
'One more disaster I can add to my... Generous supply!' These high notes were notes she had trained often, but now she meant it. She really had caused a disaster. She didn't expect those shadowhunters still wanting to help them, after she caused their friend, her brother, to disappear with Collin.  
'No good deed goes unpunished,' she sang softer, 'No act of charity goes unresented. No good dees goes unpunished, that's my new creed! My road of good intentions led where such roads always lead. No good deed.. Goes unpunished!' Her note weakened in the end, as it was supposed to, and then the music went softer. She though of all the people she lost, and it all seemed her fault.  
'Rosie,' she whispered, 'Professor Brown.'  
Rosie had died because of her, because he hadn't protected her well enough, because she hadn't done enough, because she hadn't succeeded. And she hadn't saved professor Brown, he was still with the Wizard. But how much their loss hurt, the loss of Collin hurt much more.  
'Collin,' she sang softly. 'COLLIN!' She repeated his name, this time with all the power and volume she had, and she was sure at least now that everyone could hear her, but what did it matter? They sure would hate her now. She fell to her knees after finishing his name.  
'One question haunts and hurts, too much, too much to mention,' she sang, in pain.  
'Was I really seeking good, or just seeking attention?' Sawyer thought she was seeking good, she wanted to be a good person, to do the right thing. But was that the truth? Or had she been seeking attention all this time? What is it was the same thing?  
'Is that all good deeds are when looked at with an Ice-Cold eye? If that's all good deeds are, maybe that's the reason why!'  
She stood up during the "Why", and now started using all her power and volume again, angry with the world for being so cruel, angry with herself because she could not succeed doing any good.  
'No good deed goes unpunished,' she sang, 'All helpful urges should be circumvented!'  
'No good deed goes unpunished, sure I meant well, well look at what well-meant did!'  
It was true. She meant it well, she had meant everything well, but it resulted in this.  
'Alright enough, enough so be it!' she screamed, sure everyone would call her evil now, even her new allies.  
'So be it then,' she sang, softer, 'Let all the world be agreed, I'm Wicked through and trough, since I cannot succeed, oh Collin saving you, I promise no good deed will I attempt to do again! Ever again!'  
She sang it one last time. 'No good deed will I do again!' She held the last note like forever, and stopped when she was out of breath. Only then, the shadowhunters ran towards her. Were they going to kill her? If they were, so be it. It didn't matter that much anyway. What was the use in living, when she had lost Collin, and she couldn't succeed doing anything good. They didn't kill her, though.  
'Saywer?' the girl, Clary, asked. 'Are you alright? Sorry, stupid question, of course you aren't, but we'll find Collin.'


	12. Chapter 12

'Sawyer, calm down,' Clary said, 'We need your help.'  
Clary hoped everyone else would be quiet, because in this group she was the only one with a sense of diplomacy. She wasn't really sure what to do, it was like Sawyer had gone crazy. But she had started singing... Why? She sung about how good deeds were no use, that she would be resented anyway. She sung that she would never do good again, but that couldn't be what Collin would want, could it?  
'No, you don't,' she said, 'I'll just mess everything up like I always do.'  
'Sawyer, you're extremely powerful, you saved us. Of course you can help us,' Clary said patiently. She wasn't really feeling patient, but she did the best she could.  
'No, I can't. All I do is trying to make things better, and I always make things worse. Always!'  
'That's not true. You're a good person, Sawyer, and if you want to save Collin and Magnus, we have to hurry.'  
'Some people just aren't meant to be good people,' Sawyer said, and Clary saw she was crying. 'Some people keep trying, but figure out they were meant to be evil. If you're meant to be evil, being good just doesn't work, even if that's what you want.'  
'That's not true!' Clary shouted, losing most of her patience, 'You can choose to be good or evil, and you chose good. Even if things go wrong sometimes, you can't give up. You did the best you could to protect Collin. Maybe the spell worked!'  
'I didn't feel it working.'  
'Magnus once said that when you enchant people within protection wards, you don't feel it working,' Alec said, 'Maybe it did work. But if I didn't, and we hurry, we can still save him.'  
Clary saw that Alec started sending a fire message.  
'I'll just mess up again! Maybe you can choose to be good, but for me that choice just wasn't working!'  
'It is working!' Clary shouted, 'You saved us from these downworlders, but there were too much, and that's why Collin and Magnus were taken. Now bring us into Emerald City, so we can save them before they do something horrible to them!'  
Clary was afraid of what could happen, especially to Magnus. What if they changed him into a cat?  
'Christabel is in there,' Sawyer said, 'She will help us from the inside, and I know how to get in. There's a password.'  
'What is it?' Isabelle asked, 'Something easy to remember?'  
'It's a song,' she said.  
Clary looked terrified. She had never been much of a singer, Clary was an artist, she drew. Simon was more a music person.  
'Do we all have to sing it?' Alec asked, 'Or just one of us? Because in that case, I think you should.'  
Alec was right, Clary thought, Sawyer was an amazing singer.  
'It works like this,' Sawyer explained, 'There are wards, and if they recognize their song, they let you in. They think it's brilliant, because no one would think of singing No One Mourns the Wicked to get in. All of us have to sing at least one line. Wait a second, I'll let you hear the song.'  
Sawyer let her magic go, and the song started playing. It was vagely familiair to Clary, just like the song Sawyer had just sang. No Good Deed.  
'I think we should warn Luke instead,' Maia said, 'Bat and me. Could you send us trough a portal?'  
Sawyer used her magic to create a portal, and after sending Maia and Bat trough, she closed it again.  
'We're with six people now,' Sawyer stated, 'I'll sing the part we'll use.'  
'No one mourns the Wicked,' she started, 'No one cries, they won't return, no one lays a lily on their grave. The good man scorns the Wicked, trought their lives our children learn what we miss when we misbehave. This is what you'll sing, and I'll sing Glinda's solo, except in my own range. That doesn't really matter, half of the people who go in and out Emerald City can't sing anyway.'  
'No one mourns the Wicked,' Jace tried, but he sounded completely off. Jace was a pianist, not a singer, Clary knew that. 'Good enough,' said Sawyer, 'Christabel's heard people sing worse.'  
'No one cries they won't return,' Clary continued. She didn't think she sounded much better than Jace.  
'No one lays a Lily on their grave,' Isabelle sang, and she actually sounded good.  
'Wow, maybe you should become our lead singer,' Simon said. 'The good man scorns the Wicked!'  
Simon didn't sound that bad. He wasn't exactly a rock or pop singer, but he sounded okay.  
'Through their lived our children learn, what we miss, when we miss behave,' Alec sang, he sounded very soft. Not extremely good, but not good either.  
'All good enough,' Sawyer said, 'Isabelle, you can really sing. And Alec, maybe you should try a bit louder. But we need to convince everyone that you aren't shadowhunters, to get in. If I cause a distraction, all the guards will come and try to catch me, and you save Collin and Magnus. I'll get Christabel's map of the palace, so you'll be able to find them.'  
'Sawyer, we don't have much spare clothes, and none that cover our marks,' Isabelle said.  
'Well, you can borrow some of my clothes. I have clothes that would cover all your marks. Clary's marks aren't visible, Simon doesn't have marks... Jace, Alec, maybe you can find something in Collin's clothes.'  
Both of them probably only needed a jacket. Clary went with Isabelle. She hid her steel inside her boot, and a knife in the other. She had a seraph blade inside her jacket, all well hidden. Isabelle looked trough the clothes, most of them black, and picked a long dress with long sleeves, and a high collar.  
'This should cover everything,' she said.

When they arrived at the gates of Emerald City, Jace sang the first line, even more awful than last time. Clary sounded a bit better than last time, but she too wasn't really a singer. Both Clary and Jace could walk trough. Isabelle was next, and sung the next line. She sounded even better than last time. Not professional, more like a school girl who could sing well. Simon followed, and Sawyer found the way he sang funny, because it didn't sound that bad, but his voice really wasn't musical. Alec finished, with his soft sweet voice. He wasn't really a singer, but he sounded okay. The other three also disappeared trough the gate.  
'And goodness knows the Wicked's lifes are lonely,' she sang, 'Goodness knows the Wicked die alone. It just shows when you're Wicked, you're left only, on your own.'  
Then she could go trough. Isabelle was holding the map, and all of them were looking at it.  
'You are here,' she said, pointing, at the map, 'You have to go that way to the dungeons, where they keep the prisoners, or that way. There are two dungeons. I suggest you split up, both look in another dungeon. There are lots of guards, but to most of them, I'm the most dangerous enemy, a lot of them might even think shadowhunters are a myth. If I'm spotted, they'll surely come. I'll go there.'  
Causing commotions was her speciality, she always caused commotions. She flied to the main hall, where she'd probably find the Wizard, or the people closest to him. A few people saw her, but they weren't gards, they just screamed and ran away. Soon enough, though, the guards would come. She was sure of that, and the sooner the better, she didn't want the shadowhunters found out. In the main hall, she found miss Darcy. She wore a dress that probably came from another century, but she looked good in it. Sawyer remembered she had seen Wicked the musical in London, a year ago, with Christabel. Miss Darcy was most like madam Morrible, but madam Morrible looked hideous, with her blonde curly hair or wig, en her ridiculous make up. Miss Darcy looked beautifally terrifying. Her dark brown hair was in a bun, and looked perfect as usual. She wore make up that made her face look sharper, and she was almost as tall as Sawyer was. Sawyer sometimes wondered if all warlocks were very tall. Magnus was very tall as well.  
'You!' she hissed.  
'Aren't you glad to see me?' Sawyer asked, laughing. Miss Darcy send a curse at her, but Sawyer just jumped, and flied higher. Miss Darcy tried again, but again, Sawyer flied away.  
'You can't hit me!' she said.  
'Why are you here?' she asked.  
'Oh, the usual. Saving some animals, trying to kill the Wizard. I might kill you too, but I'm in a good mood, maybe I won't.'  
Some guards came in, but she just went higher, out of their reach. Next, Christabel and the Wizard came in. Christabel pretended to look shocked when she saw me, and almost fainted.  
'Sir, what did you just say about the Nephilim boy?' she asked.  
'Nothing could hurt him,' the Wizard said, 'Some of the guards even got cuts themselves, when they tried to hurt him, but his flesh could not be torn, everything healed instantly, he didn't even seem to feel pain. One guard tried to kill him, but it didn't work, and he almost died himself. She suddenly felt relief. Her spell had worked! Collin was protected, and he could never die. Trying to kill him even hurt other people.  
'He will never die!' she screamed, half singing.  
'You did this!' the Wizard shouted.  
'But why?' miss Darcy asked.  
'Oh, I just don't want you to hurt him,' she said, 'So I had to do something, right? Can't leave that sort of thing to you idiots!'  
Sawyer felt a bit dizzy with power, they couldn't hurt her, she was too high, she could use shield charms, and she could fly away. The roof here was open. You couldn't get in from there, but you sure as hell could fly out. If you could fly. She had all the power here, and she just had to keep them all here. More guards entered.  
'No harm will come to his Wonderfulness and her Goodness,' one said.  
Sawyer found the titles funny. His Wonderfulness had to be the Wizard. He wasn't really wonderful, was he? Stupid title. Her Goodness was a good one, though, because Christabel was really a good person.  
'Maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong!' she said, knowing she would never hurt Christabel, but she would hurt the Wizard.


	13. Chapter 13

Alec had gone together with Isabelle, while Clary, Jace and Simon had gone to the other dungeon. They mostly tried to be normal people who worked for the Wizard. A few guards came running by.  
'Be careful, don't go to the main hall! It's the Wicked Witch of the West, and she's going to hurt the Wizard, or her Goodness.'  
Alec wondered if her Goodness referred to Christabel. Alec had studied a lot of fairytale, and Christabel was the typical good fairy in a fairytale, she looked like one, dressed like one, acted like one. Except that her best friend was the "Wicked Witch", who wasn't really a Wicked witch.  
'Oh no,' Alec said, pretending to sound afraid. It didn't really work. Fortunately, Isabelle took it from him. She was a much better actor than he was.  
'The Wicked Witch of the West? That's terrible! How did she get in?'  
'We don't know yet,' one of them said, 'We have to go to protect them!'  
'Make sure they don't get hurt,' Isabelle shrieked.  
They passed, and Alec was reliefed they didn't see who they were. 'You, my brother, are a horrible actor,' Isabelle said.  
'I know,' he said, 'Luckily, you are very good at acting.'  
Alec and Isabelle walked into the dungeons, Alec first, watching if anyone was there. They carried weapons, of course, but hidden. Isabelle wore her whip around her waist as a belt, and with a little magic it really looked like a belt. They looked trough the cells.  
'A floating goat in here,' she said, 'That's odd... Would it be one of the warlocks the Wizard transformed?'  
'I think so, but why is it floating?' he asked. Alec turned to look inside the cellar. He used an opening rune. The goat seemed in pain, and couldn't really move himself. Alec moved to the next cell door. A few bats were in there. There were a lot of warlocks with bat wings for a warlock mark. Alec set them free too. He hoped they still had a human mind.  
'Find Sawyer,' he told them, 'She is the only one who might be able to make you human again.'  
In the next cell was a cat. Alec opened this door, again with an opening rune. The cat came out and walked towards him. It was as if the cat recognized him. Alec looked into his eyes. Those goldgreen eyes that looked so familiar to him. The eyes that looked like cat eyes, but Alec knew they didn't belong to a cat. They belonged to Magnus. This was Magnus, it had to be. The cat looked so sad, and rubbed against his leg. Alec picked him up. Magnus.  
'Don't worry, love,' he said. He hardly ever called Magnus that, he wasn't really the person to use pet names.  
'We'll find a way to reverse the spell, Sawyer can do it.'  
He hold the cat close against him. Isabelle ran towards him. 'I think I set them all free. Now we have to get out of here, as was the plan. They were all warlock animals here. Wait, who are you holding?'  
Alec fought the tears coming in his eyes. Alec was a strong person, a fighter but your boyfriend being turned into a cat was hard to cope with, especially when you had no idea how to reverse it.  
'This is Magnus,' Alec said.  
'How do you know?' Isabelle asked.  
'I just do. I know it's him. We should get out of here, quickly.'  
'Alec, I'm so sorry,' she said.  
'I know,' he said, shortly, 'Now let's get out of here. Jace, Clary and Simon will get out soon too, and Sawyer will leave when she doesn't sense our presence anymore.'  
They ran, then, while Alec was holding the cat close to him. He was a little slower than usual, but they didn't come across any guards. They didn't know where the animals went, but they had to get out.

Simon had gone with Clary an Jace to the other dungeons. 'What are we going to do?' he asked.  
'Check every door,' Jace said, 'And if you think it's a good idea to free it, I'll free it. Clary, you don't, because your one opening rune will open everything in this place and that might not be a good idea.'  
Simon sighed but did not comment. Jace thought he was the boss, and he didn't have any better plans. Simon looked trough the cell doors, and most were empty. In others were wolves, but not much.  
'Do you think we should set the wolves free?' Simon asked.  
'I don't think we should,' Jace said, 'We probably can't control them. Maybe Luke could, since he's a pack leader, but we aren't werewolves.'  
Simon looked trough the other doors, and suddenly he saw a young man with runes. A shadowhunter. Collin. 'He's in here!' Simon shouted. Jace opened the door with an opening rune, and the boy stood up. It was Collin, indeed. He looked very healthy.  
'Wow, you look good,' Clary said, 'I mean, for someone who has been in here, even if it's just for a short time.'  
'They tried to torture me,' Collin said, 'They tried to make me give them information, about the Clave, their plans, and about Sawyer, where she went. Well, I guess she is here too, somewhere. But they couldn't hurt me. All the cuts healed immediately. They tried to hurt me with dark magic, but all their cursed rebounded, and they cursed themselves. They tried a lot of things, and nothing worked. One guy tried to stab me in the heart, he almost died himself. Sawyer did this, didn't she?'  
Clary nodded. 'She panicked when you were gone, and tried a spell. She though it didn't work, but it did. They can't hurt you. Now let's get out of here. Can you stand?'  
'As I said, nothing can hurt me. I am perfectly healthy. They even tried to cut of my marks, they thought maybe a mark was protecting me, but that didn't work either.'  
They ran, Simon used the map to navigate them back to the gate, and when they got there, Simon saw a lot of animals. A few bats, a floating goat, a dog, a reindeer, and a few others. Alec and Isabelle came trough the gate just after they had. Alec was carrying a cat, Simon observed.  
'What did you find?' Clary asked, 'Where's Magnus.'  
'There were a lot of animals, the transformed animals Sawyer told us about,' Isabelle said, 'They changed Magnus too.'  
Simon did the math, and realised the cat Alec was carrying had to be Magnus. Simon looked back at Emerald City, and saw Sawyer rising from the roof, trough an opening. She flew towards them.  
'Collin!' she shouted, 'Thank Lilith you're alive.'  
'No, thank you,' he said, 'You protected me, nothing can hurt me because of you. Now let's get out of here.'  
Clary quickly began drawing a portal. 'You can make portals?' Sawyer asked.  
Clary nodded. 'I can create new runes, and therefore I can create portals.'  
'I had heard about your powers, yes,' Sawyer said, 'I think maybe your powers might be able to help me change the animals back. Where are we going?'  
'The New York Institute,' Alec said, 'The sanctuary, so the vam- Simon can come with us.'  
Simon was at least happy Alec corrected himself, but he still had the idea that Alec didn't like him much, hated him even. 'I'll go first,' Isabelle said, and she walked trough the portal. Alec followed her, and then he went. He ended in the sanctuary. Simon hated not being able to enter the Institute, because that was were they often made the plans. Sometimes they went to Magnus' place instead, so he could be there to, but not always.  
'I think I'll go home then,' he said, 'My mom must have wondered where I have been.'  
Sawyer and Collin were next, and then Jace, followed by all the animals, and Clary at last.  
'I closed the portal,' she said, 'Just before I went trough.'  
'Good,' Isabelle said, 'Now I'm going to go find mom, and explain this all. Collin has every permission to be here, because he's a shadowhunter, but we have to tell them about you, Sawyer.'  
'Mom'll allow it,' Alec said quickly, 'You saved Collin, after all, a shadowhunter, but the Clave will want to know everything about this.'  
Simon left after that, and went home.

Isabelle and Alec went to find their mother, in the Institute. Their father had never returned from Idris, but then their mother had always been more the head of the Conclave than heir father had. They found her in the library.  
'Alexander, Isabelle,' she said, 'Are you alright? How did everything go? What cat is that, you're holding?'  
Isabelle saw her brother flinch. He put the cat down, and the cat stayed close to Alec. Isabelle didn't know if Magnus was still himself, or that he had the mind of a cat now, but either way, Magnus still remembered that he loved Alec.  
'Did Alec tell you about the Wizard transforming warlocks into animals, and werewolves into wolves who can't change back anymore?' Isabelle asked.  
'Yes, I have,' she said, 'Though I find it hard to believe. Is this cat one of those animals?'  
Alec nodded. 'It's Magnus. When we found Sawyer, she told us everything, and we all believed her and Collin, and Christabel, the faerie. Then we were attacked by the Wizard's Order, and we tried to flee with a flying carpet, but the carpet was set on fire, and Collin fell off. We landed, and tried to fight them. Sawyer used a spell to bann them, but they took Magnus and Collin with him. They did this to Magnus, but they couldn't hurt Collin. There are other animals, warlocks, and we set them free, they're still in the sanctuary, with Collin and Sawyer.'  
'What?' his mother asked, 'How many of them?'  
'Lots of them,' Isabelle said, 'But Sawyer is trying to reverse the spell.'  
Isabelle really, really hoped Sawyer would succeed. 'I'll stand by you, of course,' their mother said, 'But we'll have to convince the Clave. There'll be a meeting, but the Inquisitor is here right now.'  
'Who is it?' Alec asked, 'The new Inquisitor, I mean.'  
'Your father,' their mother said.


	14. Chapter 14

'Maybe it's better like this,' Alec's father said when he was finished explaining everything, including Magnus' transformation.  
'What is better?' Alec asked.  
'That the warlock is transformed into a cat now,' his father said, 'Surely, we'll be able to reverse it, but in the mean time... Surely you'll realise that he's not what you want.'  
'What?' Alec asked, shocked that his father could suggest something like that. It had taken him long enough to convince himself that he wanted Magnus, and not Jace, so now he was sure of it. He had even started worrying about his mortality, since Magnus was immortal, so much did he want Magnus.  
'I mean that apart from him, you'll realise you can't love him. I don't know what he did to you, but shadowhunters don't love people from the same gender, that doesn't happen,' his father said.  
Alec somehow had the idea his father was lying. Alec had always been good at reading people, and he knew his father was lying.  
'That's not true,' Alec said, 'You know that as much as I do.'  
'Even if you're right, and it does happen,' his father said, 'That doesn't mean it's right. It's wrong. I know that, the Clave knows that. Maybe your mother and your sister won't accept that as the truth, but I do. I still have hope for you, though. I think you'll realise you don't love the warlock, and you'll find some shadowhunter girl to love.'  
Alec didn't know anything anymore to say back, and he didn't. He just sank to the ground, fighting tears. He wouldn't cry in front of his father, he wouldn't, but it was too hard. Had his father no idea what it felt like? His boyfriend had been cursed, turned into a cat, and they still had no idea what to do about it. What was he supposed to do? Just stand and feel nothing at all? Wasn't that exactly what Jace taught them? What Clary taught them? That to love, to care, was something that made you strong? Alec could no longer hold back his tears.  
'Don't you see?' his father asked, 'Loving this warlock, or thinking you do, made you weak. A shadowhunter wouldn't just collapse crying like you're doing right now.'

Isabelle walked into the library, mostly to see her father after months of not seeing him. She wasn't particularly happy to see him, since he had just left, it seemd like he didn't care about them at all. That he didn't care much about their mother, she knew. She knew he had cheated on her before Max was born, that he stayed only because of Max. Now Max was gone, he didn't stay with them anymore, he had just abandoned them. When she heard her father shouting at Alec, she was suddenly angry, extremely angry.  
'Father! How can you do this?' she shouted at him, 'First you leave us, as if you don't care at all, and now you suddenly blame Alec for loving a man? What do you care? I know you don't care about mom anymore, I know you cheated on her, and you stayed because of Max, and now that he's dead, you don't have to stay anymore! So if you don't care about us anymore, just leave, but don't hurt Alec!'  
Her father turned towards her now, he seemed angry as well, but she didn't care, not really. She cared about Alec, who sat against the wall, crying. Who could blame him? He was hurt, and Alec had never been good at holding things together when he was hurt. He either turned cold and cruel, or he just broke down. Alec looked up now, though, at her.  
'Isabelle, behave yourself!' her father said, angrily, but he also seemed shocked. Simon and Clary had told her that it was normal for mundane teenagers to shout at your parents, now and then, but for shadowhunters, it wasn't normal.  
'No, you behave yourself!' she screamed, 'All you care about is hurting people, and if people are good enough to you or not. You don't care about us at all, only you're afraid that people judge you because your son is gay. Maybe it would to just accept it. Alec isn't going to change, nor should he!'  
Jace walked in next, and looked confused mostly. 'What is going on here?'  
He saw Alec then, and walked towards him. 'Stay out of this, Jace,' her father said, 'And take Isabelle with you.'  
'Alright,' Jace said, and he took Alec's hand, and Alec walked with Jace. Her father looked at them like Alec wasn't supposed to leave, but she didn't care what her father thought. Alec needed her and Jace right now.  
'It's alright, Alec,' Jace said, 'I don't what happened, but it's alright. Sawyer is going to turn Magnus back as soon as possible, and then everything will be alright.'  
'I'm tired,' Alec said, 'Can I sleep? For a while?'  
'Yes, of course you can,' Isabelle said, 'Now I'm going to find Sawyer and Clary, see if they need help, with all those animals.'  
Isabelle found them in the dinner room, at the table. Magnus was there too, asleep on blanket. It was so weird, unnatural, to see him as a cat.  
'I just had a thought,' Isabelle said, 'Have you ever heard of the fairytale about the Princess and the Frog?'  
Sawyer shook her head, and Clary nodded. 'In short: The frog used to be a prince, but was turned into a frog by a Wicked Witch.'  
'Somehow I don't like the term "Wicked Witch",' Sawyer interrupted.  
'Well, we study fairytales because a lot of those magic is real. The Wicked- Evil Sorceress, if you want, turned the prince into a frog, and then the beautiful princess found the frog, kissed the frog, and suddenly he was a prince again. I've never heard of any cases in which true love's kiss was the solution, but we could try.'  
'So you suggest Alec could kiss Magnus,' Clary said, 'But what about the other animals? How do we find their true love?'  
'Hadn't thought about that yet,' Isabelle said, 'But the princess had never met the prince before he was cursed... I don't think this is it. Have you any thoughts?'  
'Not yet,' Clary said, 'Since runes can't be used on downworlders, I don't think a rune could be the solution.'  
'But you did place the mark of Cain on Simon,' Isabelle said, 'And the Alliance rune was also for downworlders. Maybe you can invent a rune to reverse the spell. But for now, I'm hungry. It's dinner time already, isn't it? I still have this amazing recipe from this Faerie, Kaelie...'  
'You're not cooking,' Clary said, 'Maryse is too busy, and therefore Jace decided Sawyer will be cooking. Her pancakes were amazing, so we know she can cook, and I'm really sorry to tell you, but you can't.  
'Not fair,' Isabelle said, 'I want another chance. Cooking can't be that hard, and I was just starting to learn it.'  
'Sawyer already learnt to cook, somehow,' Clary said, 'Who taught you anyway?'  
'I taught myself how to cook,' Sawyer said, 'I started easy, baking pancakes, easy meals with potatoes, vegetables and vegetarian meat, I'm a vegetarian. Then I learned more complicated recipes. A witch needs a hobby, sometimes. Next to flying, and reading, and experimenting with spells.'

'You are going to teach me,' Isabelle said, when Sawyer had gathered all the ingredients in the kitchen. She'd summoned it all from her castle, because she still had a regular food supply there.  
'Alright, you can help me. But first, can you give me a list of who'll be eating? And do you know if any of them has allergies?'  
Isabelle took some paper and a pen, and wrote down the names. Both her parents, her father who was the new Inquisitor, and her morther. Her brother Alec, and Jace.  
'Alec said he wasn't hungry, but I don't believe him. Alec often doesn't eat when he's sad, but that doesn't mean it's good for him. Besides, it's your food. I'll help you, and I promise I won't mess up, but it's not just my food, so he won't get sick.'  
Next on the list Sawyer saw her own name, Christabel, who was coming too, and Collin. Christabel would arrive at half past six, and dinner was at seven o'clock.  
'I think Clary, Jocelyn and Luke are here too,' Isabelle said, 'Luke wants to meet you, and Jocelyn wants to know what's going on.'  
'That's eleven people,' she said, 'I'll need some more of that.'  
Sawyer concentrated on summoning some more ingredients, and an enormous frying pan. 'Magnus snaps his fingers when he does that,' Isabelle noticed.  
'I can't snap my fingers,' she said, 'But I learned it without having to snap my fingers, so I don't have too. We'll start boiling the water. After that, we put the spaghetti in the pan. Put some water in this pan, two third full, I think, and then the other pan.'  
Isabelle did what Sawyer told her to do, and Sawyer put the cooker on, on the power stand, in both pans. There were so much people she needed both pans. Sawyer opened the pack with spaghetti.  
'These are too long, break them in half,' she told Isabelle.  
Isabelle broke all the spaghetti in half with her shadowhunter strenght, and asked if she had to put them in the pan. 'No, you have to wait until the water's boiling,' Sawyer said.  
'That's what I always did wrong,' Isabelle said, 'Well, one of the things. My cooking was always following a recipe, but that recipe assumed you already knew how to cook, and no one taught me to.'  
'No one taught me either, but I found out how to by myself,' Sawyer said, 'I've had some time and I had to cook every evening.'  
When the water started boiling, Isabelle put the spaghetti in the pans, and a little while later, Sawyer turned the heat a bit down.  
'The sauce isn't that hard. You put it all in the frying pan, both cans, and then you stir through it. Now we put in the vegetarian meat. This is the best vegetarian meat for sauce there is, so I'm sure you'll like it.' After they did that, they put in the mushrooms, and after that the vegetables.  
'Now you just have to stir through it for some time, until it's hot,' Sawyer said.  
When the food was finished, Sawyer and Isabelle carried the pans to the dining table, and Sawyer snapped all the plates and cutlery into place, for eleven people. Unfortunately, only Clary was in the dining room. Christabel walked in.  
'Sawyer!' she shrieked, 'Thank Goodness you're alright. What were you doing there?'  
'Causing a commotion,' she said, 'Collin was saved, but Magnus has been transformed into a cat.'  
'That's horrendible,' Christabel said, 'I promise I'll try to get information out of the Wizard, now he still trusts me.'  
'Thank you,' Sawyer said, 'Would you know were everyone is?'  
'I've seen mr Lightwood and mrs Lightwood in the library, together with Collin. He's explaining some things to them. Where Alec and Jace are, I don't know.'  
Jocelyn and Luke walked in next. 'Clary!' she said, 'What happened?'  
'I'll go get everyone else,' Isabelle said, 'I think Jace is with Alec, in his room.'

Alec had slept for an hour or something, and then Jace came in, just when he woke. 'Good, you're awake,' Jace said, 'Feeling better?'  
'A bit,' Alec said, but he still felt hurt. From losing Magnus, but also from his father's cruelty. He knew his father didn't accept him, but Alec somehow hoped he would learn to. His mother had been shocked at first too, but he had explained her how it worked, that you couldn't choose your sexuality, and that it wasn't wrong to be gay, and his mother had accepted that. She didn't want to lose another son, just because she could't accept him. But his father was different, he couldn't accept him. Maybe Alec shouldn't care, but he did. Alec had always been the kind of person who needed approval. He needed his parents to accept him, be proud of him, because he didn't have enough faith in himself. Jace lay down next to him.  
'But still not exactly good,' Jace concluded. 'No, not really,' Alec said.  
Alec wasn't really used to sleeping in the same bed with Jace, it felt a bit odd, but right. 'I can feel it,' Jace said. Alec knew he probably could, Alec could feel it too, when Jace felt extremely sad. He remembered what it had felt like, when Valentine had convinced Jace that Clary was his sister. They lay down like that for a while, and then Isabelle came in.  
'Dinner's ready,' she said.  
'I'm not hungry,' Alec said immediately, because the numb feeling that came with sadness, also caused that he didn't feel much like eating.  
'You have to eat,' Isabelle said, 'And I didn't make it. Well, I did a lot, but Sawyer did most, and she told me how to, so you won't get sick from this food, or any further meals I'll make. I can cook now!'  
'I don't have to eat,' Alec protested.  
'Yes you do,' Jace said, 'Not eating when you're sad isn't healthy, now come on. I trust Sawyer not to poison us.'  
Alec and Jace came with Isabelle to the dining room, where everyone was sitting at the table. Sawyer had cooked spaghetti. Alec still didn't feel much like eating, but he liked spaghetti, except for Isabelle's spaghetti.  
'As a sign of good faith,' Sawyer said, 'I cooked for you guys, and I also taught Isabelle how to cook. I hope you like it. It's vegetarian, by the way. To those who haven't met me yet, I'm Sawyer, and I'm a warlock who's trying to save all the turned werewolves and warlocks, and I will never stop trying.'  
'I'm Luke,' Luke introduced himself, 'I'm the local pack leader, and I heard most about you from Maia and Bat.'  
'I'm Jocelyn,' Jocelyn said, 'I once was one of the Clave, but no longer.'  
His parents also introduced themselves, and then they started eating. The spaghetti, Alec found out, was really good, and soon he did feel like eating some of it.


	15. Chapter 15

The next day, there was a council meeting in Idris, and Sawyer was at the center of it. The meeting was about her, if they had to trust her. Since Magnus was a cat, he couldn't be representive of the Warlocks, and Catarina Loss went instead. Catarina, Sawyer saw, had a blue skin, like Sawyer had a green skin.  
'You must be Sawyer, right?' she asked, 'I was informed about you, but I do not know that much.'  
'I am,' she said, 'Is it hard? Having a blue skin? I don't mean to be rude, but as you can see I'm green.'  
'Well, I mostly glamour it, when mundanes can see me,' she said.  
Sawyer did that too, though sometimes she didn't. When she was little, she hadn't been able to, and everyone had laughed at her skin colour.  
Christabel was, together with her, at the center of the council, where everyone could see her. The consul was an asian looking woman, forty years old. Jia Penhallow was her name, Sawyer remembered. The Inquisitor, Robert Lightwood, stood next to her.  
'Tell the story, miss Thropp,' the Inquisitor requested. 'The first thing the Clave wants to know is how you learned to fly like that. We have no records of warlocks being able to fly like you do.'  
'Well, you have no records of the Grimmerie either, one of the most powerful spellbooks there is,' she said, 'It has been lost for so long even Magnus didn't know about it. My guess would be that it's been lost since before the Clave was, and been found by the Wizard. I took it from him, and it belongs to us, children of Lilith.'  
'Be more specific, warlock,' the consul said, 'We want to know what you did, why you did it, when you did it.'  
'Maybe we should act the scene,' Sawyer said to Christabel. 'Well, when I grew up in the Order, I believed in the Wizard as a Wonderful man, as everyone calls him, with amazing magic, someone who would protect us all, I was wrong. When I was young, I wanted nothing more than to be on his side. Because of my powers, that's what the Wizard wanted. But when I met him, I found out who he really was. He tried to build an army, kidnapping werewolves and taking the human out of them. I knew a bit about that before, though, but I believed the Wizard didn't know, that he would stop it. But when I met him, I realised it was him, it had been all the time. He transformed warlocks who were against him into animals, and I haven't yet found the cure. He showed me the Grimmerie, asked me to use a levitation spell, and I did. I saw it was hurting the goat I enchanted, and tried to turn it back, but I couldn't. Spells from the Grimmerie can't be reversed with just a counter cast, you have to find a completely new spell to change the effect, entirely different magic. I realised the Wizard was evil. I didn't yet know what he was planning, what he wanted, but I knew I couldn't trust, that I had to fight him. I took the book, and ran, followed by Christabel. Christabel, maybe it'll be more Obvious if we show this scene.'  
'Okay,' Christabel said, 'I hope you're happy, I hope you're happy now. I hope you're happy how you hurt your cause forever, I hope you think you're clever.'  
'This is a interrogation, not a Broadway show,' Robert Lightwood snapped.  
'I'm showing you how it happened,' Sawyer said, 'Like this. We did indeed sing part of it. I hope you're happy, I hope you're happy too, I hope your proud how you would grovel in submission, to feed your own ambition!'  
Now they sang a line together, from the song Sawyer and Christabel both knew backwards. 'So though I can't imagine how, I hope you're happy, right now.'  
'Sawyer, listen to me. Just say you're sorry. You can still be with the Wizard, what you've worked and waited for. You can have all you ever wanted.'  
'I know,' she said, and after that she sang again, 'But I don't want it. No. I can't want it anymore.'  
Sawyer used some magic to play the background music. That wasn't exactly how it happened, but that didn't matter that much, it showed enough.  
'Something has changed within me, something is not the same,' she sang, 'I'm trough with playing by the rules of someone else's game. Too late for second guessing, too late to go back to sleep. It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes, and leap!'  
'It's time to try defying gravity,' she continued, 'I think I'll try defying gravity, and you can't pull me down.'  
Christabel ran towards her. 'Can't I make you understand, you're having delusions of granteur!'  
'I'm trough accepting limits, 'cause someone says they're so! Some things I cannot change, but 'till I try I'll never know! Too long I've been afraid of losing love I guess I lost. Well if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost! I'd sooner buy defying gravity!' She turned to Christabel now. 'Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity, and you can't pull me down.'  
Sawyer pulled out her book, and started the chanting. She stopped her magic, though, to avoid accidents or weird things. 'It worked! Come with me! Think of what we could do, together!'  
'Unlimited, together we'll be unlimited. Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been! Christabel, dreams the way we planned them!'  
'If we work in tandem,' she cut in.  
'There's no fight we cannot win,' we sang together, 'Just you and I! Defying gravity. With you and I defying gravity. They'll never bring us down,' we sang together.  
'Are you coming?' Sawyer asked, 'Shall I cast the spell on you too?'  
Christabel shook her head, 'I hope you're happy, now that you're choosing this. But someone ought to stay here. I'll protect Rosie, I'll spy on the Wizard for you, find out what he wants. Remember, I'll Always be your friend, even if it takes years to find each other again.'  
Then the guards burst in, Sawyer used magic to make the fake guards look real, with a lot of help from Christabel. This sort of thing was her speciality. The guards took hold of Christabel.  
'Leave her alone, she's nothing to do with it!' Sawyer shouted at the guards, after a year of acting the whole musical together, she could do it.  
'It's me you want,' she screamed, 'It's me!'  
'Sawyer!' Christabel screamed. The guards let her go, and ran towards Sawyer. Sawyer started rising, and soon she was far out of their reach.  
'So if you care to find me, look to the western sky!' she sang in her most powerful voice, 'As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to fly! And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free, to those who'd ground me, take a message back from me! Tell them how I am defying gravity! I'm flying high, defying gravity! And soon I'll match them in renown! And nobody, in all the order, no Wizard that there is or was, is ever gonna bring me down! Bring me down! Ooh!'  
Sawyer sank again to the ground. 'So, that's how it happened. With most of the singing. Christabel told me later what the Wizard wanted: to destroy the Clave, and recently we found out how he wanted to gain an army, to make a deal with Lilith to raise her son, Jonathan Morgenstern.'  
'That's impossible,' the Inquisitor said, 'Only an angel can bring people back from the dead. Not a demon.'  
'Oh, but there are old rules. One life brought back for the light means one life brought back from the dark. They'll need the person who died and was brought back, and they'll need someone to resurrect him. A warlock could do a good job I think, but the ideal person for this task is alive now, and they're looking for him.'  
'For whom?' the consul asked, 'Who do they need?'  
'The Daylighter, Simon Lewis,' she said, 'Daylighters have very special powers. Simon won't use them of course, but they'll try to force him. And they'll need the counterweight, the one who was brought back.'  
'Who is it?' Robert Lightwood asked.  
'Your son,' she said, 'Well, adopted son. Jace Herondale.'

'What?' the consul asked, 'What are you talking about?'  
Jace stood up then. He had wanted to keep it secret, Clary thought that was best too, but now it was time to tell. Sawyer had told them already, and the story wasn't complete if they left that out.  
'I was resurrected. When Valentine raised the angel Raziel, Valentine had killed me, stabbed me with a sword. The angel killed Valentine, and Clary could ask for one favour from him, and she asked for me. The angel brought me back from the dead. We wanted to keep it secret, but now we can't anymore.'  
'Why didn't you tell us?' Robert Lightwood asked.  
'We were afraid,' Jace said, 'Of the consequences, but we were wrong, we should have told it. The enemie did know it already, and want to use it to resurrect Sebastian. Sebastian would be a very dangerous weapon, but he can't be controlled, not really. Valentine could barely control him, and the Wizard won't be able to either. Even if we defeat the Wizard, Sebastian will be a sole problem if he survives, because he'll want to destroy us, just because he can. That's what he's like.'  
'Then we won't let anyone get near Jace,' the Inquisitor said, 'Won't let anyone use him to resurrect that filthy son of Valentine's.' Jace knew why the Inquisitor was a bit bitter, why he hated Sebastian so much. Sebastian had, after all, taken Max away from them, their little brother. Isabelle had suffered most from his death, because she kept punishing herself, but they all felt terrible grief.  
'We have to protect Simon too,' Alec said, standing up, 'Jace and Simon. They are both needed for the ritual, and I'm guessing the Wizard is already looking for them right now.'  
Jace realised Simon was alone in New York. Well, Luke's pack was there too, but the shadowhunters were gone. Luckily, the meeting would be over when Sawyer's fate was decided, and Jace had the idea they wouldn't punish her, but help her.  
'We are going to vote about this: Will we let Sawyer Thropp aid us, or will we distrust her and punish her?'  
'Wait,' Collin said, 'We haven't discussed everything yet, about how we were attacked, and the Wizard's Order captured Magnus Bane and me. That must proof the Wizard's our enemie, they captured a shadowhunter and a warlock who's allied with shadowhunters.'  
'That's right,' Sawyer said, 'I used protective spells, very powerful protective spells, to protect Collin, and when we went to Emerald City to save them, Magnus had been transformed already. The Wizard feared him, you know. He fears no one as much as a warlock who's powerful, and his enemie, like me. But Collin was completely healthy. They tried to harm him, but they couldn't.'  
Jace remembered how surprised he had been to see Collin completely healthy when they found him, not wounded at all.  
'They even tried to kill me, but it didn't work, the person trying almost got himself killed,' Collin added, 'We don't know how long this protection will work, but as long as it works, I don't think anything can kill me.'  
Jace wondered what it felt like, being stabbed and then not die. Jace had died once, and was suddenly brought back, and that had felt very strange. Would not dying feel less strange?  
'That is strange indeed,' the consul said, 'Strange magic, like all the magic in the Grimmerie. Now it is time to start voting. First, do we believe Sawyer Thropp, and will we not punish her, but listen to her and attack the Wizard?'  
All the downworlders voted for helping. Jace was too young to vote, but of course both Alec and Collin voted for helping, and so did Maryse, and a lot of other Shadowhunters. Enough. The consul counted the votes.  
'That is decided. We will fight the Wizard. But can she keep the Grimmerie? Would that be safe? A witch with a book we do not know about?'  
'It is a warlock book, Jia,' Catarina Loss said, 'It would be of no use to you, only warlocks can use it, and Sawyer has shown us that she know how to use it.'  
Alec stood up then. 'She should keep the book, she knows it, and knows how to use it, and she needs to cure the warlocks and werewolves, make them human again, with the book.'  
Jace had the idea most people didn't take Alec very serious, and Jace wanted to stand up and tell them that they were all idiots, and that Alec was one of the wisest en most intelligent shadowhunters he knew, but he found enough control not to, knowing that it would only make things worse.

Simon was on his way to band practice, from his home. All the shadowhunters were away now, but would be back after the meeting, so they wouldn't be gone that long. In the mean time Simon could hang out with Eric, Matt and Kirk. He had recently told them that he was a vampire, and Clary insisted that he told his mother, but Simon was afraid she wouldn't believe him, afraid she'd be scared. His bandmates were idiots, and Simon knew it, and he had predicted they would find it cool or something. He had been right about that, and Eric was convinced suddenly both Maia and Isabelle liked him because of his sexy vampire mojo. Obviously, there was no such thing, but Eric did believe it. Simon saw fast movement in the corner of his eye, but didn't see much. A part of him said it was probably nothing, but he lived in the Shadow world now, he was no longer a mundane. It was daylight. So no demons, and no vampires except for himself. Simon loved being a Daylighter, but he'd rather not be a vampire, but a mundane. If he were a mundane, he could even become a shadowhunter like Clary and Isabelle, but now he couldn't even enter the Institute, which sucked. He couldn't enter the place where his girlfriend lived. Simon saw movement again, and quickly turned. A werewolf, no, two werewolves. Simon didn't know if he could fight them, his mark of Cain hadn't been tested yet, so he ran. Suddenly he saw a third werewolf in front of him. I'm dead, he thought, unless the mark works I'm dead. But the wolf didn't attack him, it attacked the other two wolves. Simon was surprised. He didn't recognise the other wolf, it wasn't Maia. The wolf killed the two other wolves, and then turned into a human. It was still weird to Simon to see this things happen in the middle of the day where other people were. They didn't notice at all. Simon only now realised how blind he had been. The boy was good looking, Simon guessed, and he looked about eighteen years old, and Simon had never seen him before.  
'That was close,' he said, 'You're lucky I was there in time. Well, maybe your mark would have killed them, but we're not sure of that. The name is Kyle, by the way, Jordan Kyle.'  
'Lewis,' Simon said in the same James Bond style, 'Simon Lewis.'  
Simon figured it probably sounded cooler when Jordan did it. 'I know who you are,' he said, 'You're why I'm here. Come with me, then I'll explain everything.'  
'Alright,' Simon said, only trusting this guy because he had just saved him.  
Jordan led him to his appartment, a nice small place, with a weird plant near the window. What was that?  
'Have you ever heard of the Praetor Lupus?' Jordan asked.  
Simon shook his head. 'Doesn't ring any bells.'  
'Well, we're Guardian Werewolves. Our task is to protect young Downworlders from themselves and from the Clave. Newly changes werewolves and vampires often are violent, and they need others of their kind to teach them and protect them, and we make sure they find others, a task that is sometimes dangerous. I am tasked with protecting you, and finding out why you can walk in the Daylight.'  
Simon wasn't sure if he could tell Jordan that. 'What are you going to protect me against? This Wizard guy who wants me to make Sebastian alive again?'  
'The Wizard?' Jordan asked, 'The Praetor have always been independent, and we are not allied with the Wizard, but I didn't know he was our enemie.'  
'Any werewolves of your group disappeared recently? Because he kidnaps werewolves and takes the human out of them, and then they're just wolves he can train to form his army. Weren't those guys you fought turned wolves?'  
'I didn't know what they were,' Jordan said, 'Though I found it weird that they didn't change back when they died. Praetor Scott must know this immediately.'


	16. Chapter 16

In the end, most people voted for letting her go and fighting the wizard. Just over half voted to let her keep her book, and Sawyer was happy with that. She needed that book, she was the only one who could use it at its best, and that was needed right now. The Grimmerie was a book with a lot of spells, and everything was written in ancient greek. Sawyer hadn't found everything yet. Her translations were still at the castle, she would have to get them. She had translated most of the spells she'd read and used, to figure out exactly what their purpose was. She still had to translate the spell she'd used on Collin, to figure out what happened more precisely. They went back to New York after that, with the portal at the Gard. She had taken her book into the room Maryse had given her, and Christabel had gone in there with her.  
'Wait, I got something,' she said, 'This spell is to change what is now into what used to be. Apliable on people, though the effect may be temporary, or just an illusion.'  
Sawyer thought about it. 'Maybe they mean it like... turning old people in what they used to look like when they were young, that stuff.'  
'I could do that, I think,' Christabel said, 'I mean, I can create Cinderella girls. Like, turning a simple plain dress into a beautiful gala dress. I have done that sort of thing, for poor girls, turning their dress so they can go to the school dance with their dream boy. I've seen the Seelie Queen making people old or young with a glamour, when I still was welcome in the Court.'  
'If we try it together,' Sawyer said, 'Me this spell, and you your magic, it might work, it might change them back!'  
Sawyer had tried spells before, but this was the closest to a cure she had found. Other spells were just counterspells to curses, but not all curses could be undone by that sort of spell, and this one couldn't.  
'Where's Magnus?' Sawyer asked.  
'He's with Alec, I think,' Christabel said, 'That's were he usually is. It's so romantic, you know. Even cursed and turned into a cat Magnus loves him.'  
Sawyer laughed. Christabel had always been a romantic person. Unlike Glinda in the musical, Christabel had never been in love with Collin, and when Sawyer had fallen in love with him, Christabel had told her to go for it, and that a forbidden love between the Wicked Witch of the West and a shadowhunter was very romantic. Like Romeo and Juliet.  
Sawyer and Christabel left the room, looking for Alec and Magnus. They first found Isabelle, with her whip, in gear.  
'Do you know where Alec is?' Sawyer asked, 'And if Magnus is with him?'  
'They're in the training room,' Isabelle said, 'I just left, but Alec and Jace are still there. Magnus is there too, I think.'  
Sawyer and Christabel walked to the training room, Sawyer knew where that one had to be. They entered, and she saw Jace with throwing knives, and Alec with a bow, shooting on the most impossible targets from the most impossible positions. Magnus the cat was lying on a safe place, watching Alec carefully. There was another cat next to him, Sawyer saw, a tiny grey cat, who seemed confused. As much as cats could be confused. Sawyer remembered Magnus telling her about Chairman Meow, his cat. This had to be the Chairman, then.  
'Alec, Jace?' Sawyer called, hoping no one would throw a knife or shoot an arrow at her or Christabel.  
Alec and Jace both looked up from what they were doing. 'We may have found something,' Sawyer said, 'Can we try it on Magnus?'  
'Yes, go ahead,' Alec said, 'You can do anything if you think it'll help. He hates being a cat.'  
Sawyer started chanting from her book, and Christabel mixed her magic with her spell. Sawyer saw something happening. It was working, to some point at least. Where the cat was, now Magnus stood.  
'Is it real?' Sawyer asked, 'Or did we create an illusion?'  
'This is an illusion,' Magnus said, 'It won't be permanent, just as long as you run the spell. But I can tell you how they did it.'  
'Please, tell me,' Sawyer said. She had never known how they did it, and neither did Christabel know.  
'It was done by a woman in an old fashioned dress, with some help from a faerie woman, not Christabel, but someone else. The woman was a warlock, obviously. She cast a spell that took away my magic, and the faerie did the visual part, turning me into a cat. The warlock perfected the transformation, so it was no longer a glamour, but a real transformation. The woman said you'd never cure us, because to do that, you need all three sorts of magic combined. She didn't know there is someone on earth who can do angelic magic.'  
'I can't hold it much longer,' Christabel shrieked, and Sawyer too felt she couldn't hold it. She had to keep using magic to keep the spell working, and she exhausted herself.  
'All three have to find spells,' Magnus said quickly, 'Most important is that there is not only a transformation, but also taking away magic. To turn me back, you also need to give me my magic back. Find a spell for that.'  
Then neither Christabel and Sawyer could hold it anymore, and Magnus turned back into a cat. They hadn't cured him yet, but they had gained a lot of information.  
'Who has angelic magic?' Christabel asked. 'I mean, three sorts of magic are angelic, demonic, and mixed magic, faerie magic. Your magic is demonic, mine is faerie magic. Who did Magnus mean?'  
'Clary,' Jace said, 'Clary can create new runes, you must have heard. That's angelic magic. So you two have to find some spells to make Magnus human and give him his magic, and Clary has to create runes to complete it.'

Clary was home that afternoon, Simon with her. She was drawing him. Clary meant to give the drawing to Isabelle after finishing it, but she had only just finished the shape of the head. She placed a vew very thin lines for the hair. She had to draw the face first, but Clary often drew those thin lines, so she knew where the hair was. Clary just hoped Simon would be patient enough to sit here all afternoon. Maybe she would stop after an hour, take a break, so Simon could finally move a bit. Live models were just much easier than photo's, and Clary wanted the details to be perfect.  
The doorbell rang, and Jocelyn was out. She would be back soon, Clary thought.  
'Take a break,' Clary said, 'I'm going to open the door.'  
Clary walked to the door and opened it. It was Christabel. She was wearing a blue dress now, one that reached to the ground and was very wide. She also wore a crown in her blonde curly hair. Clary had gotten used to her fairy princess like clothing style.  
'Clary,' she said, 'We need your help. We've made some progress with the animals, and we need your power.'  
'My power?' Clary asked, 'The rune making power?'  
'The angelic magic,' Christabel confirmed, 'We've been able to temporarily change back Magnus, and he told us what he knew about the curse and how to cure it. He told us that only all three kinds of magic combined can do it. Faerie magic, demonic magic, and angelic magic. Warlocks, like Sawyer, have demonic magic, and I have faerie magic, and you are the only person who has angelic magic, so you're the only one who can help us. So you are going to come with me.'  
'Okay, where? To the Institute?' she asked.  
Christabel nodded. 'Wait a second, I have to tell Simon and leave a note,' she said, knowing her mother wouldn't be happy if she just left. 'Who is it?' Simon asked.  
'Christabel,' she said, 'She wants me to come with her, because they need my rune power to cure Magnus and the other animals. I'll continue the drawing later.'  
Clary quickly wrote a note for her mother that she was at the Institute, helping Sawyer and Christabel with their cure. Simon left, to go to Jordan. He had shortly told her about the praetor lupus and Jordan, but Clary hadn't seen him yet. She was planning to, though. She needed to know if he was to be trusted. But now she was needed at the Institute, and she went with Christabel. Christabel released some magic.  
'Wait, how are we traveling?' Clary asked.  
'Soap bubble,' Christabel said, 'I can't fly, but I can travel with soap bubbles.'  
Christabel created a giant soap bubble around them, which was very weird to Clary. It felt as if she'd gone to the magical land Oz in those stories. Didn't Glinda travel in soap bubbles? They appeared in a soap bubble at the Institute, and then the bubble spat, and Clary felt some soap wetting her. Clary opened the door into the institute, only shadowhunters could. Inside, Christabel led her to Sawyer's room.  
'Good,' Sawyer said, 'You're here. We need you to use your rune power. We're not sure yet which rune you need to invent, but we know that my magic must give Magnus his magic back, and that Christabel must give him his human form back, and that you somehow need to assist in everything.'  
'Uhm,' Clary said, 'Maybe you should look for spells to give things magic? I don't know if that sort of thing happens...'  
'You are born with magic, or not,' Sawyer said, 'Maybe spells exist to give ifrits magic, but I don't think so. In this case, we have to give people who are supposed to have magic the magic back. It's a bit complicated, I think. Some people should have magic, like Magnus, and some people shouldn't, like mundanes. Valentine, he did things with magic he shouldn't have done. There have been mundanes in the past, mixing in the shadow world. Unless you become a werewolf or a vampire, that never ends well. And even that depends if you call ending up as a werewolf or vampire well. No, this is different. And I'm not sure if anyone has ever lost his or her magic before. I would ask Magnus if he knew... Maybe we can ask him, but first we'll have to find spells as well.'  
'I already know what spell to use,' Christabel said, 'The spell I just used. But you need to give his magic back first, to make it work.'  
'Yes, I know,' Sawyer said, 'And we somehow need runes to make it work. Runes you can create.'  
'Okay,' Clary said, 'I don't know yet what rune. Sawyer, I think you have to find the right spell first, then I can visualize what I have to complete.'


End file.
